Selfish Relations
by Rebel lady
Summary: COMPLETE! Broken promises, kidnappins, maroonings, Jack Jrs, piglets, fights, a daft pirate captain out for blood...maybe, and Ana's relationship with Evan. Sequal to 'Again'
1. Promises

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this…well maybe the characters I made up…and Milton. But that's about it.  

_Two years after the _Pearl_ set sail from __Port Royal__ it lands on __Barbados__ for reasons unknown to the outside world.  A few days later the Challenger __(Evan's ship) receives word that the crew of the Black Pearl_ is on an island; it sets its sails and heads for the ___Barbados__._

          "What in the bloody 'ell did you do to yourself?" Ana laughed.  She and Evan had reached the island with little trouble since Ana had once been there before.  When the two walked in they were surprised to be greeted by pigs and the WHOLE crew of the _Pearl.  Dinah had almost not noticed that they had even come in but over the commotion she heard Katherine scream in delight, for she too thought Ana was like another daughter.  _

          Jack sighed.  He had heard this question from his mother and had refused to tell her until she stopped looking at him in a strange way.  The four friends were in the backyard, away from all the pirates and noises in the house.  "Can't you come up with something better to say?  Like hello my former captain, how are the seas these days?"

          Ana smiled at Jack's dry humor and sat down across from him in a chair that Evan got for her.  "Okay fine, so Jack, how has the raiding and pilfering been?  I haven't talked to you in a while!"

          "Why I'm surprised you haven't heard of my success!" Jack said proudly but Dinah rolled her eyes.

          "The success that oddly enough led to this mishap," Jack shot a look at her and she smiled.

          "I was gettin' to that!  But anyways," directing his story back to Ana and Evan, "the crew was gettin' a little…antsy, you might say since we hadn't come upon a ship for at least three weeks.  Finally, after trip after trip to Tortuga, we came upon a little som'in'…"

          Ana raised an eyebrow, "By the look of you, more than you bargained for…"

          Jack sighed in irritation and said through clenched teeth, "Will you let me tell the bloody story?"

          Ana smirked and said, "Yes, of course, I'm sorry…"

          "Good.  Now, the little som'in' we came upon was a convoy of three ships from Port Royal, in fact.  And our little friend, Commodore Norrington was on it."  Dinah rolled her eyes at the memory.

          "Yea, and all they did for ten minutes was threaten each other, but of course Jack won…"

          "Norrington doubted the strengths of my crew and me, but we got over to the head ship and tied everyone up, even Norrington.  But there was one thing we slightly over looked…"  Jack paused.  Ana and Evan were both listening intently.  Jack looked at his wife, she gave him a 'do you want to tell the truth about this?' look and he rolled his eyes.

          "So there was one thing we slightly overlooked…" Jack went on, "As half the crew stood watch- the rest of them, Dinah and I went lookin' for the goods…What we found was the exact opposite."

          "Will you just bloody tell us!" Ana shouted, fed up with all the details that didn't really need to be told.

          "Dinah and I went in the Commodore's cabin and it was dark as Davey Jones' locker in there, but we heard a noise.  So we went carefully around the cabin and a thing jumped out of no where and attached itself to my leg.  Well the thing turned out to be a cat and the bloody thing left nail marks in my skin.  The blasted thing broke through the skin and made me start bleedin' all over."

          Ana started laughing before he could finish his story, "You mean, you have a cast on your leg because of a cat!"  She laughed more.

          "No Ana, I don't!" He said over her laughing.  She slowly died down and waited for the rest, "The things that followed that made me get a cast on my leg.  Somehow I managed to stumble backward, but there was a nail in the wall, and it went into the back of my leg and then I tripped over a chair and broke my leg."

          Ana was shaking so badly from trying to hold the laughter in that what Dinah said made it worse, "Yea, except he wouldn't get himself to a doctor when he did that.  He ordered the crew to go raid the other two ships while I helped him back to the _Pearl.  He didn't even go lie down or anything, the man just stood on deck and let the blood drain out of his leg."  Ana burst out laughing again and Dinah gave her husband a disgusted look._

          "You seriously expected me to give up three ships because of a stupid leg?"

          "It was broken!" Dinah argued. Jack rolled his eyes, acting like it didn't mean anything to him.  "Well when we finally got to a decent doctor he said that Jack was lucking he was still alive because he had lost so much blood.  I almost died myself."

          "Why?" Jack questioned.

          "Because if you died after two years of marriage…I don't know what I would've done…" Jack looked almost touched and put his arm around his wife and kissed her forehead and looked at Ana and Evan.

          "So I'm supposed to get this thing off in about two months."

          "Well what's you're crew going to do during those two months?" Evan questioned.

          Jack shrugged, "Well so far they've just stayed here…mum seems to be okay with it, but the crew is lookin' a little antsy again, so I might send them out by themselves and tell 'em to be back in about two weeks or so."

          "Send them out alone?  With out a Captain?"  Ana questioned.

          "Yea, so?"

          "Are you daft?  Those men would kill every single person in a boat!  They need direction!  They need a captain."

          Jack thought a minute and then said, "Well how about you?"

          Ana took on a serious face and looked at Jack with a face full of concern, "But Jack I-"

          "I know you're on Evan's ship…but like you said my crew needs a Captain…"

          The statement almost took the air out of Ana altogether, "You mean, you're…"

          "I'll hand the ship over to you for about two weeks or so."

          Ana stopped and studied Jack.  He seemed cool and unconcerned about what he was asking her to do.  "What's the catch?" She questioned.

          Jack sat forward, moving his arm away from Dinah and balancing his elbows on his knees, "Are you tellin' me that you're not gunna take this chance to be on the _Pearl?  I know you want to be back.  I can see it in your eyes."  Jack said with full emotion in his eyes.  Jack and Ana sat they for a while just studying each other._

          _True, I've missed the _Pearl_, but that doesn't mean anything.  I'm happy on the Challenger._  I'm happy with Evan…_ Ana thought to herself as she leaned back and said, "I don't need anything more than what I have." _

          "Suit yourself!  But this is your last chance, lass.  The _Pearl__'s waitin'."  _

          Ana looked from Jack to Evan, Evan didn't say anything and his eyes were unreadable.  Then he finally said, "If you need to do this, luv, then go right ahead and do it."

          Ana sighed and tried to look for some confirmation that what he said was really true, but didn't find any.  She looked at Jack, feelings as thought she was going to regret this later she hesitantly put out her hand, "It seems we have an accord."  

          Jack smiled crookedly, showing his gold teeth, "That's what I'd thought you'd say."  They shook on it and they talked over the terms of the accord.  She was to leave tomorrow and then get half of the plundering. She agreed and her and Evan went into the house and Jack and Dinah heard, "Alright you scallywags!  I'm takin' over for a while!"

          "Why did you do that?" Dinah asked, as her and Jack lowered them selves on a blanket they had set out here earlier.  She cuddled up next to Jack and he put his arm around her.

          "Because they need to get off this island, and Ana can take 'em."

          "Yes, but Jack, she's not a part of your crew anymore.  Why tempt her to do something that both of you know she wants to do."

          "Dinah let me tell you something, Evan might be a pirate and his ship maybe full of pirates, but your first ship is always the one you love the most.  I knew how hard it was to leave the _Pearl__, and I just want her to be back home."_

          "Yes but Jack, won't it be harder to leave the second time?"

          "That's what I'm plannin' on, luv."

          Dinah sat up and looked at Jack in shock, "You mean you're deliberately trying to get her back?"

          Jack sat up on his elbows, "She has no future aboard the _Challenger.  The __Pearl is her home and besides- you miss her too."_

          "Yes, but that's no excuse!  You're not going to put all this on me Jack, you're not going to lay here and tell me you're just doing it for me, because you're not!  You're doing it…why are you really doing it, honey?"

          Jack sighed, _this woman doesn't quit!  It's like once I marry her I'm supposed to be honest with her…_ "I just want her back on my crew, luv.  I didn't really want her to leave in the first place and now that I've had time without her, I realize that I need her back on board."

          Dinah looked at her husband questioningly. She was trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.  Since they got married it took Dinah two whole weeks to figure what Jack was REALLY up to, she knew that he was trying to get used to this 'partner' thing in marriage, but she wanted it to happen a little quicker.  She reminded herself that it would take time, and for now she would believe him.  "Okay, but I want you to stop.  Please Jack, she was happy on the _Challenger _before you brought this thing up.  And I'm not so sure Evan's real okay with this either…"

          "Who cares about Evan?"

          "Ana does, that's my point Jack.  She wants to be with him, and if she decides to change her mind and she's back on the _Pearl__, she'll be miserable, and you know it."_

          "Ana doesn't show her feelin's on deck, and you know that."

          "Yes well, that's only because she's a pirate, but you wouldn't be getting the full Ana.  You'd be getting half the effort and half the work, no matter how hard she tried to hide it, that's what it would be like.  And it'd be worse when seeing you and me together."  Jack sighed, knowing that his wife was right, unfortunately.  She sighed and looked at him, "Jack please promise me you'll stop now, before any of us regret it."

          Jack sighed and nodded, "I promise you, luv."  She smiled and nestled her head back on her husbands shoulder, but inside he was trying to think of a way to get out of the promise he just told his wife.  Yes, he was married and loved Dinah, but he also wasn't used to giving up things he knew he could get.  He waved away the fact that Ana would be miserable and tried to think of a plan.  


	2. Arguements

          When Dinah woke up that afternoon the sky had grown dark and her husband had left her side.  She frowned, a little upset that he left, but she got over it and picked up the blanket and went inside.  The house was oddly silent and empty when she stepped in and shut the door.  She looked around but didn't see a pirate in sight.  She sighed, wondering where they must've went, especially her husband.  She shrugged and went in the kitchen to find one of Katherine's servants in there fixing dinner.  She quickly turned around and Dinah asked her, "Where is everyone?"

          "Oh, they all went out miss, Cap'an Sparrow told me to tell you that he'd be back with the little ones in an hour or so."  Dinah made a face, _little ones?  _

          "Okay, um, can you make me some tea please?" the maid nodded and Dinah went into the living room and sat down and started to read a book that Jack had gotten her.  When the maid put her tea down Dinah looked up and out the window, it was raining hard and then she heard the door slam open and five bodies come through the door.  Squeals of delight came from the five and six year old who came running toward their aunt, but got stopped by their parents, to dry them off.  Jack asked for some towels to dry off for everyone and the maid quickly went upstairs.  

          Jack made eye contact with Dinah and smiled, seeing her wrapped up in a blanket, and reading a book made him think of retirement, or having leave if Dinah ever got pregnant.  She got up and walked over to him and hugged his wet body, she got a little damp, but feeling his body warmth made up for it.  She kissed him on his rough chin and let go of him to greet the other members of her family.

          "AHHH!" She screamed picking up her soaking niece and nephew. She danced them around in her arms and then the maid came down to give the wet visitors their towels.  They all quickly dried off and went up into their separate rooms.  Dinah followed Jack into their room and asked, "What are they doing here?  Your mother couldn't possibly have room for all these people, can she?"

          Jack shrugged, "Ana and Evan aren't staying here…"

          "So?  That still leaves like thirty people, and now thirty four!"  

          "Luv, my mum has how many rooms in this house?" Jack asked, taking off his sea boots and pants.

          Dinah sighed, "Like twenty or so."

          "Exactly.  It's not like she lives in a hut.  The crew is sharing rooms!  Exactly like they do on the _Pearl__!  And I'm sure James and Hannah are going to have their children sleep with them."  He reassured Dinah while taking off the rest of his clothes, drying off more and putting on clean ones._

          Dinah surveyed the mess her husband just left on the floor and picked up the clothes and asked, "How did you manage to get so wet?"

          "Well a little while after you fell asleep James and Hannah arrived.  Somehow they had gotten word that we had docked here too, and thought it'd be nice to stop by for a visit.  Mum welcomed them like they were family and started feeding the little ones sugar, and lots of it.  So after she wound them up, she went for a nap and left us to the wild children plus a houseful of pirates.  So I ordered the crew out to town and told them to at least buy something like food, instead of eating everything in the house.  But there was still the problem of Ben and Beth, so I offered to take them for a ride."

          "With you're leg?!"

          "Well funny thing, Hannah bought me crutches, and something a little more attractive then the beasts that the doc gave me."  Dinah rolled her eyes, the 'doc' gave him perfectly good crutches, but he refused to wear them because he said it made him look weak.

          "What do they look like, honey?"

          "Their wooden, and carved, and quite useful if I do say so myself…"

          "Well of course their useful!..." Dinah was about to go on about how they were supposed to be useful if he just used them but then remembered something, "The doctor said you weren't supposed to get that thing wet."

          Jack rubbed his cheek, as if trying to remember if he knew that, he shrugged and said, "Well it wasn't out there for very long.  All we had to do was sprint across the lawn."

          "Sprint across the lawn?  You can't sprint anywhere!"

          "Yea well James helped me a little."

          Dinah groaned, rolled her eyes and started rubbing her forehead.  Jack smiled and walked over to her, and started rubbing her arms to calm her down, "Don't worry luv, if I thought the man was going to kill me, then I wouldn't have allowed him to help me.  What are you so worried about?"

          "I'm worried that you're going to break your other leg you idiot!" She said pointing to him.  He laughed heartily, which made Dinah break a smile.  If he was so confident then she should loosen up.  "Well fine. But I'm going over to talk to my brother and sister-in-law."

          "Fine, but if you come in here, come in quietly 'cause I'll be nappin'.  Those kids wore me out."  Dinah smiled and nodded and left the room.

          Dinah opened the door to find Benjamin and Bethany asleep on the bed and James and Hannah sitting on the window seat talking.  "Knock, knock." Dinah said quietly.  Hannah turned her head and smiled.  She stood up and walked over to Dinah to give her a hug.  Hannah was a petite, blond-haired, brown-eyed, perky woman of 25.  She had met James while doing some trading business in New York.  They had seen each other for only two months and then gotten married and had kids right away.  Beatrice seemed to like Hannah more than Dinah, but that was Dinah's perspective.  "I'm so glad you're here!  I haven't seen you two since the wedding!"  She said as James walked over and gave her a hug. 

          "Dinah Eileen, I'm surprised you've lasted this long!"  She pulled apart from her brother and he put his arm around Hannah.

          "What do you mean?"

          "I thought you were going to come after six months with Jack, and ask for Douglas back."

          Dinah eyed her brother, he had a smile on his face but he wasn't joking.  "I'm still not getting your full meaning I'm sure, James.  What do you mean?"

          "I mean I honestly didn't think you'd go this long living with Jack…after all he is a pirate."

          "James, I don't know if you got this, but I love Jack.  And he loves me.  We're married.  And I wouldn't leave him even if he told me to."

          "But if he left you…"

          "James.  Stop," Dinah said harshly but not loud, because the little kids were still napping.  "I don't want to hear about it.  Jack loves me and he loved me back then but had different things on his mind…You know, I don't even know why I'm telling you this because I don't have to explain myself to you or Jack and mines relationship to you.  You know what love feels like now so I was hoping this wouldn't be an issue, but obviously it is."  She said and then turned to walk out of the door but he stopped her.

          "Dinah I'm sorry.  To be quite honest with you, I'm not quite used to him being a pirate and part of the family…" Dinah slowly turned and looked her brother in the eye, and he went on, "I mean he's around our kids…"

          "Jack wouldn't hurt Benjamin or Bethany and you know it."

          "Well I may know that, but there's still doubt in my mind…in our mind."

          Dinah's eyes darted to Hannah and she nodded meekly, "But don't get me wrong, I think Jack is quite charming and I can understand why you fell in love with him, but the fact that he's a pirate…"

          "What's wrong with you two?  Yes, Jack is a pirate but he wouldn't do anything to hurt any of us!  Not intentionally at least!  He may be crude and rough and piratey at times, but that's his nature!  I mean his parents are pirates!  Can you help who your parents are?"

          "Are you trying to tell us he's a pirate because his parents are?" James questioned.

          "James, father was the biggest influence in your life, that's why you grew up to be a merchant!  Because father was a merchant.  Do you think that's different for other people?"

          James thought about this and then said, "Okay, you have a point, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a pirate."

          "You two shouldn't worry.  But if you kill me, one of his crew members or take his rum, then you should worry," and with that she left the room.  She was a little mad that James had brought this whole thing up, yes she knew he didn't like pirates, but she had been married to Jack for two years…yes, she could understand the worry, this being the first time Jack was with the kids, but Jack was sweet to them and careful around them and she could almost see in his eyes a wanting for kids.  But the subject had never been brought up.

          She walked in the room and saw Jack asleep and heard him snoring slightly.  She smiled and went to lie next to him.  He woke up when she put her back against his front side and said groggily, "I told you to come in quietly." 

          She smiled and whispered, "I did, but I needed your company."

          "Everythin' aight?"

          She nodded, "Yes…I just came back from talking to James?"

          "What'd he say about me?"

          Dinah smiled, "Nothing too important, I told him not to steal your rum."  Jack mumbled something about he "bloody better not" and fell back asleep and Dinah laid there, with Jack's arm around her middle, thinking about how it really wasn't a big deal, so she forgave James and Hannah and tried to think of ways to entertain her niece and nephew with Jack.

          When dinner rolled around there were only nine people seated at Katherine's table: Katherine, Jack and Dinah, Hannah and James, Ana and Evan, and the two twins in baby seats that Katherine just 'seemed' to have.  "Where is everyone?" Katherine asked when everyone was seated and the food in dishes in front of them.

          Jack shrugged, "I told 'em to leave, but not for the whole day."

          "I think they're down at the pub…" Ana said.  She looked at Jack and shrugged, "I told them you'd be okay with it…"

          Jack smiled, "You're the boss, Captain Ana Maria."  Dinah looked at Jack from across the table, he had a smile and he was looking at Ana.  She sighed, hoping he wouldn't 'forget' the promise.

          "Yes, well Ana might not be able to go through with your accord." Evan said, putting some mashed potatoes on his plate and come gravy.  Ana stared at him until he made contact with her.

          "What do you mean?  Of course I'll be able to go through with it!"

          "What if I need you?"

          "Evan, you have a whole crew!  Do you really need me?"

          "I don't know!  I might.  Some things you're just better with."

          "Wait, are you telling me you don't want me to go?"

          Evan looked around and then looked at Ana again, "That might be what I'm saying."

          "Well is it or isn't it?"

          Evan paused, "Ana, you're acting like this is more important than being on the _Challenger_…we're going to be doing the same bloody things, so why would it matter?"

          Ana paused, it mattered because it was the _Pearl__.  Not just some ship, it was the __Pearl__.  Jack noticed the conflict Ana was having with herself, but refused to let down his offer.  Dinah also noticed what Ana was going through and took the liberty to do the thing that Jack didn't offer to do._

          "Well Ana, if it's a problem then you don't have to do it."

          "What?"

          "NO!"

          "Good!"  They all said at the same time.  Jack said 'what' looking at his wife in disbelief, Ana said 'no', and then was surprised when it came out of her mouth, and Evan said the 'good', because he wanted Ana with him.  

          "Dinah, you don't have that like of…"

          "Of what?  Just because I'm not a captain?  This obviously isn't going to work out Jack,"

          "We made a blasted accord, luv, and pirates take that kind of thing seriously!" Jack said raising his voice.  James and Hannah looked at each other and excused the children to go play in their room until either of the parents said otherwise.  The two children left and the 'discussion' went on.

          Dinah crossed her arms and was about to argue but Evan spoke up before she could, "Ana, why do you want to go, if I can offer you the same thing?"

          "Because it ain't the same thing, Evan.  Bein' on the _Pearl is totally different that anything you could imagine.  There's something special and certain about that ship, and I want to feel that again.  I'm leaving tomorrow on the __Pearl__, Evan, you're not stopping me."_

          "Fine luv, if you want to leave on the _Pearl__, then don't expect to come back to see me."  Evan said getting up and leaving, slamming the door behind him.  Ana cursed under her breath as she got up to go after him, and just before she left the house she said, "Stubborn pirate."  _


	3. Just when I got Comfy

Author Thanks:  Oktaira…You are the man!  I love how you go into detail with reviews- it makes me feel better about my writing…You're right, Dinah has changed.  But I expect that being married to a pirate can do that to a person…eh?  Hope you like this chapter…

          The perfectly good evening had turned out into a full blown disaster.  The faults were on two people, according to Jack.  The first being Evan, who told Ana that he didn't want her to go and the second, being his wife who was now mad at him.  She (according to Jack) had no right to excuse Ana from the accord. 

          From Dinah's point of view it was all Jack's fault.  Why he had disagreed with Dinah, she wasn't quite sure.  He promised he would quit being childish about Ana and that was that.  It was black and white, yet dinner made her think about if Jack really meant about what he promised.

          From Ana's point of view it was Evan's and Dinah's fault too, but mostly Evans.  Why he was being so weird about this she didn't know.  And she didn't know why she had to do this, she couldn't think of any REAL reason, yet she wanted to so badly, that it go through with it.  From Evan's point of view, it was all Jack's fault.  He knew he was up to something.  _Probably stealing Ana away from me.  Evan thought.  _And it seems like she wants to go!  _  Everyone was mad after dinner, and that was certain.  _

Ana ran after Evan as he walked quickly toward where his ship was docked.  He didn't think any of his crew was still there, but if they were, they were leaving.  Ana called after him, not particularly in a good tone.  She was cursing and yelling and screaming after him and he ignored her, he was set in his decision.  If Ana wanted to be on the _Pearl so badly, then she would STAY on the __Pearl.  _

"You bloody pirate!  Just stop would you?!" She called.  He finally stopped and turned around.  She walked toward him as the rain beat down on them, she asked, "What was that about?"

"Ana, I'm not the type of guy to go runnin' after a lass!"

"I'm not askin' you to run after me!  I'm not leavin' yuh; I'm just going away for a little bit!  But Evan, I'm comin' back!  No need worryin' about that!"

"Why are you even compelled to do this, luv?"

"Because the _Pearl_ is my home!" She stated loudly.

"Yer home aye?  Well fine!  Then you can stay on your home!"

"Evan, that's not what I meant and you know it!"

"No, Ana, I don't!  Not unless you tell me!"

"I just need to do this, can't you understand that?" Ana said calmly, looking at Evan directly.  

He nodded, "Yes luv, I do.  But I don't understand why."

Ana smiled, "Well if it helps- neither do I."

Evan smiled back and asked, "Where do you want me to meet you?"

Ana smiled wider and jumped into Evan's not-so-prepared hands and he held her there until she let herself down, "I'll meet you anywhere you want."

"Okay, how 'bout The Faithful Bride at Tortuga."  Ana nodded and agreed.

When Ana arrived back home she was shivering, wet, and in a little bit of a better mood but not much.  She came into the house without bothering to 'towel off' and marched up to Dinah who was curled up reading a book and Jack, who was across the room, laying down on the couch.  Both still mad at the other, but no wanting to be completely distant.  

She stood over Jack and squeezed out her hair onto his face.  His eyes flinched but never opened, until she was completely down.  "Is there somethin' you be wantin' lass?"

"Yes!  I want to know why you two made me and Evan fight!"  

Dinah looked up from her book, "Ana, we didn't make you two fight…"

"Well you provoked it!  I want to know why?"

Jack and Dinah looked at each other and then at Ana, "We didn't know it was going to turn out that way, Ana.  Honestly…" Then she looked at Jack, "Well at least I didn't."

Ana's eyes narrowed and she asked, "What's that s'posed to mean?"

Dinah sighed, "Ana, it doesn't matter anymore, you obviously made up with Evan.  And once you're back we can forget about the whole thing…"

Ana eyed both of them and then left, intending on sleeping through the night on the ship she was going to captain the next morning.  Dinah threw her shoe at Jack once Ana had left the house.  He sat up and looked at his wife with an irriated look.  "What?!"

"Why are you mad at me?"

"Because, luv, you did something that no one had a right to do."

          "Give me a break, I'm your wife!"

          "That you are luv, but that doesn't make you queen over my business!"

          Dinah's face turned solemn, "You mean you don't want me interfering with anything having to do with your ship and your crew?"

          "No!"

          She nodded and said before returning to her book, "Well then once your leg heals I'll get all my belongs off the _Pearl_ and go stay with mother."

          Jack rolled his eyes, "That's not what I meant, luv."

          "Well Jack, you treat me like one of your crew and you treat me as your partner, so sometimes I'm not sure what to go on!  I thought as Ana's friend and your wife it was okay for me to put that offer on the table…but I guess I was wrong."

          Jack sighed, "C'mere luv, I can't get up."  Dinah slowly got up and walked over to where Jack was laying and stood in front of him.  He motioned for her to lie next to him and she slowly did, making sure not to hurt him.  Once they got arranged and comfortable he said, "I'm sorry I overreacted."  And for now, that was enough to satisfy Dinah.

          The next morning Jack and Dinah stayed to see Ana off, but the _Challenger _was already gone.  The crew was busy getting ready to lift the anchor as soon as Ana said the word and she was over her anger with the couple.  "I'll write you…" They both said at the same time.  They giggled and hugged.  Jack then told Ana to keep the ship in good conditions and if there's a storm, she can always last a little longer.  Ana nodded and walked up the gangplank and shouted, "Okay ye scallywags!  Set sail from this island!"

          Two hours into sailing Ana had a change in spirits.  She was captaining a ship with a full crew and she loved it.  For now she wouldn't let anyone touch the helm but her and found that when you're captain, steering was more soul-releasing than when you're just part of the crew.  She now realized why Jack was most often at the helm.  You could think hours on end, and still not loose sight of where you're going.  

          Ana didn't exactly no where she was going, but she was going to find a ship.  _Maybe somewhere near __Port Royal__. She thought.  __But I've got to find a ship.  I've got to lead a raid.  But then her thoughts wondered to Evan and why he hadn't been there when she left.  She hadn't heard his ship leave during the night or even early morning, but it must've.  She had just figured that he would've waited, but she guessed she should've asked._

          After four hours of thinking and steering, Ana's legs began to grow tired and she had Cotton take over.  She wasn't quite sure what cabin she should use but then Gibbs came up to her and told her in a slurred voice, "Cap'an had us make the bed with new sheets for yuh.  It's all yours lassie."  She smiled and walked in, finding a huge bed instead of a little cot.  Yes, she had seen it before, but now she got to sleep in it!  She shut the door and smiled mischievously at the bed.  She ran up to it and jumped on to it.  

          Surprisingly enough the bed didn't exactly feel right.  Ana frowned and looked under the sheets.  What she found was a wooden box, that was the support for the bed, but in the box was sand.  Ana noticed that he had the bottom sheets nailed to the wooden box and that kept the sand in.  "The man's a bloody genius!" she said.    She settled back on top of the bed and smiled in contentment.

          She looked around the cabin.  It was pretty much empty.  All his clothes trunks were gone, his maps were still here and his liquor cabin was completely empty.  _Big surprise, _she thought.  But one thing caught her eye.  It was a drawing of Jack and Dinah after their wedding.  Ana didn't quite recognize where they were so she stood up and walked over to the desk where it was on.  

          The picture was in the Turner's back yard, it was Jack and Dinah sitting down.  They were laughing but Jack had his head turned Dinah, who had her head back in complete laughter.  Down at the bottom of the drawing was what looked like 'Elizabeth Turner' as a signature.  Ana looked around the desk for any thing that might have came with it, and she found a letter in neat, perfect cursive handwriting.  Obviously done by Elizabeth.

          _Dear Jack and Dinah-_

_                   I hope you two are doing well. I'll be glad if this message actually reaches you, but you never know.  I figured you'd see Norrington's procession and capture him.  He swears that if he saw Captain Jack Sparrow, he'd surely capture you and send you to the gallows, but you've manage to get out of that situation twice…so if you don't get this, well then when you two came to visit, I'd tell you about the picture.  _

_                   I saw this happen and the image stuck in my mind for weeks after you left.  So finally I drew it on paper and it was so good, I figured I should send it to you two.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and I hope to see you both very soon._

_                             -Cordially Elizabeth Turner_

Ana put the letter down and looked at the picture again.  She sure had been practicing; the drawing looked life-like.  Ana smiled at the fact that her two best friends were married.  She couldn't wait to have kids, and then she'd be an aunt…Well close to an aunt at least.  Since Ana was an only child and her parents died before they could have anymore kids, Dinah and her siblings had been Ana's siblings too.

          Ana went back to the bed, intending on getting some sleep and maybe dreaming about the past, but after ten minutes of resting there was a pounding on the door.

          "AYE?"  She yelled.

          "Cap'an!  There's something you might like to see."  She heard a crew member say and then walk away.  Ana groaned and went to the door and opened it.  When she walked out on deck, there was a ship right next to the _Pearl.  The crew looked ragged and grimy.  The person who seemed to be the captain had brown eyes and a hat.  His hair was sun bleached blond pulled back into a ponytail.  He was handsome in some respects but the way he glared at Ana made chills go down her spine. _

          "Are you Jack Sparrow's whore?"  He asked once she got to the middle of the deck.

          "Who's askin'?"

          "All you need to know is that I am the captain of this 'ere ship, the _Destroyer_."

          "I'm not tellin' you anything until I hear your name, Captain."

          He sighed and answered, "Eric Smith.  Now are you his whore?"

          Ana put her hand on her gun, "I ain't no ones whore.  What business do you have with Jack?"

          "Well ain't this his ship?  I've been looking for that bloat for years!  And here and I finally come upon his ship, and I get you."

          "Captain Ana Maria- Jack's presence is obviously lacking at the moment.  Is there anything else?"

          "Yes, wait t'be boarded luv," 

          Calling Ana 'luv' was something Jack realized long ago, was a mistake.  The minute he did she drew out her sword and pointed it to his nose, only an inch away from it.  Now this Captain has the nerve to go and do such and thing AND board the ship?  Ana wasn't going to let him get away with such a thing.  She drew her sword out and told the crew to prepare for battle.  Shots fired and swords clashed, but Ana was only fighting with one man.  The Captain of the ship who wanted something to do with Dinah.  Though she wasn't sure what, she was going to find out.  

          Twenty minutes later, half a dozen of her crew were wounded and half of Eric's ship was dead.  She now had him against a wall with a sword and gun in her hand.  She usually didn't divert to the gun when fighting with her sword, but she brought it out now to make sure he didn't do anything.

          "What do you want with Jack and his wife?"

          "Wife?  Is that what you call 'er?  You sure it ain't whore?" He asked, with a slight smile on his face.

          "I wouldn't say such things if I were you," Ana said as she cocked her gun and rose it to his heart.  He swallowed, but had no facial expressions to hint that he was scared.  "What do you want with them."

          He shrugged.  

          Ana smiled, "You best be tellin' me mate, or you'll be gettin' acquainted with Davy Jones' locker…"

          "M'boss sent me to look for 'er."

          "Your boss?"

          He nodded, "I don't know any more than that, I swear."  He said looking into her eyes.  She sighed and took that as a good enough answer.  She nodded and led him back over to his ship with the rest of his crew and Gibbs and cotton tied them to the mast.  Then they went around looking for loot, while Ana went into the Captain's quarters and looked for anything that would give her a hint to who this 'boss' might be.  She wasn't certain if he was telling the truth, but she knew that was all she was going to get out of him.  When she found nothing and she was the only one left on the ship of her crew, she left and told Gibbs to raise the anchor and she went and tended to the wounds of the crew. 


	4. Kidnap

          Eric quickly got out of the ropes that the crew of the _Black Pearl had tied his crew in.  Well what was left of his crew, anyhow.  He'd have to go and get more and report back to Fredrick.  He wasn't going to be happy that they had gotten away, but if Eric didn't tell the truth then he'd sure be killed in his sleep once Fredrick found out.  _

          He was hoping that Captain Ana Maria would've at least slipped the name of the whore that Jack was with now.  _Married she said…Yea right.  Jack Sparrow isn't married to anyone for very long._  But once he thought about what Fredrick was planning, this was better.  If the woman had been with Jack, then that wouldn't have worked.  She needed to be alone.  She needed to be without her precious husband.  

          "Marcus!  Follow the _Pearl__!"_

          "Which way did she go, Cap'an?"

          "Starboard!  Right!  And get to it!  We might lose her trail if we're not careful!  I have a feelin' she'll lead us straight to Jack and his 'wife'.  But make sure we're not seen."

----------------------------------------------

Ana thought about what had happened for a while and thought about if she should turn the ship around and go back to Barbados.  Finally she made the decision that she should just in case.  Then after she told Jack, she would take the crew out again.  But the fact that this man was looking for Dinah but had business with Jack made Ana a little worried.  And who was Eric's so called 'boss'?  And what did he want with Jack?  Ana was hoping Eric might've slipped the name, but no such luck.  She could've asked for it, but if she threatened him and he didn't do it, then she would've had to go through with the threats.  True, she was a pirate, but she didn't particularly like killing people.  But if she only knew what he was planning, then she was sure she would have just reasons to kill him. 

But in the mean time she would wait 'til the _Pearl took her to Barbados.  As she waited, something that Eric had said came back into her mind.  _I've been looking for that bloat for years!_   The face didn't strike any memory within Ana, but she had been with Jack for a long time, and she had never heard of an Eric or of any __Destroyer.  _I wonder if Jack would know.  Eric Smith, right?_ Ana thought to herself.    _

Not like Dinah would necessarily let him do anything.  According to her, he had a broken leg and he was going to stay at home.  Ana sighed, _so it's up to me.  Unless Jack somehow convinces his wife to let him back on the ship and take off that blasted cast.  Ana shook her head and smiled at the memory.  She sighed and decided it was too complicated and there were too many unanswered questions to think about right now.  She got up and went over to the bed and didn't wake up again until Gibbs yelled "Land"._

"Jack, when was Ana supposed to be back?" Katherine asked the next afternoon.  She, Dinah, Jack, James, Hannah and the twin and Milton were all outside playing.  It was mostly Bethany and Benjamin playing with Milton who had gotten quite large.  

"Not 'til later next week, why?"

"Because she's here, and she's not lookin' that happy."  Jack and Dinah stood up and looked in the direction of the harbor.  Sure enough, there was Ana, marching through the grass with a irate look on her face.  

"Ana, what are you doing here?" Dinah asked, once she got close enough.

"Jack, Dinah, You might want to sit down," Ana started off.  The three went back into the yard and sat in the many available benches and chairs.  Ana told them all about Eric and what he had said.  

"What'd you do with him?" Jack asked.

"I tied him and the rest of his crew to the mast…I didn't know what else to do.  I also went lookin' around his cabin, but nothing about this 'boss' guy was anywhere to be seen.

"Did he say what he wanted with Dinah?" James asked.

Ana shook her head, "Not really.  But he made it sound like he was going to use Dinah as some sort of a…ransom.  I have a feelin' that's what its gunna be.  The real trouble is with you," Ana said pointing to Jack.  He was deep in thought trying to remember if he knew an 'Eric Smith'.

"Well they don't know where we are…do they?" Dinah asked, her voice quivering slightly.  Jack looked up from thinking and looked at his wife.  He put a hand on her two hands which were on her lap.  

"They're not takin' you, luv.  Believe me."  She looked at him and nodded, even though she was scared out of her mind.

"So what now?" Ana asked Jack.

"Try to go lookin' for him again.  See if you can get more out of him."

"Jack, he's not going to talk, and killing him won't solve anything."

Jack sighed, knowing she was right.  "Well then I'll go out there.  Then he won't have to take Dinah."

Dinah stared at Jack, "You're not going anywhere!  First off- that cast!  And second- if those pirates see you will that cast it'll make you a target and you'll be dead before you can meet this other guy! No.  You're not going." Dinah said sternly.

"She's right Jack.  You know that she's right," Katherine put in before Jack could argue.  

"Well then what are we supposed to do?  Wait around until he shows up?  Granted, he knows where we are." Jack said his voice raising.

The ends of Katherine's mouth bent upward, "Jack, that's _exactly what we're going to do…"_

The crew was posted in several different locations all over the house for a week.  Jack and Ana weren't sure if Eric knew where Barbados was, but if he did, they would be ready.  Jack slept with his arms around Dinah every night for a week and finally at the end, Gibbs spoke to Jack.

"Cap'an, the crew is sayin' that they've only had one raid in a month…that's pretty bad.  We need to go out and do SOMETHING."

Jack sighed, knowing he was right, but he wanted Dinah to be safe.  "Stay two more nights and then you can go, savvy?" Jack asked, knowing that the crew would surely take it.  Yes, he wanted Dinah to be safe, but he also wanted to make his crew happy so they wouldn't mutiny.

------------------------------------

Eric and his crew had docked on the other side of the island of Barbados after they had followed Ana there.  The next day that had went into town and asked anyone and everyone if they knew where the Sparrows lived.

"You mean Katherine?"  A man asked.

"Does she have a son?"

He nodded, "Jack or something."

"Where do they live?" Eric asked, his hopes rising.

"The other side of the island.  Her house is right by the harbor over there.  It took almost half a day to walk over to the other side of the Island to find the house.  Eric had his hat and put it low on his head so the sun would shade his eyes.  If he happened to bump into the crew of the _Pearl then he didn't want to be recognized.  _

Sure enough when he reached the harbor he found the ship, and when he turned around there was a huge house with what looked like Ana walking with another woman.  His best guess would be that it was Jack's whore.

"Is that her, Captain?"

"I'm not sure, but we'll go looking for Jack's room tonight.  Those windows are big enough to easily climb through.  Let's just pray it's not on the second floor because otherwise we'll have a hard time gettin' in."

That night they found Jack's room on the second floor and saw Dinah.  Eric mentally memorized what she looked like and what the room looked like.  He also noticed Jack's arms wrapped tightly around his wife.  Eric smirked.  _He's expecting something._ He thought to himself.  _Let's hope she's a heavy sleeper._

The same day Jack had told his crew "two more days", Eric was telling his crew "tonight".  The plan was to have three men go into the room and tie Dinah's feet, hands and mouth at the same moment and then drop her to six or seven men on the ground to catch her and then leave.  Yes, the dropping might not be the best experience for Dinah, but it was probably the worst of her troubles.

"Jack, are you okay?" Dinah asked that night.  He was sitting on the bed, looking at nothing but his eyes were glazed over.

He blinked and looked at her, "Nothing's going to happen to you." 

"Jack, you've been saying that every night for a week now, and you're right, nothing has happened to me.  But I'm sure this Eric captain would've taken me by now.  You shouldn't worry."

"Dinah, pirates strike at the most opportune moments, but for other people it isn't the most opportune moment, savvy?"

"Jack, if I'm not worried, then you shouldn't be either." She said crawling into bed next to him and kissing him.  He kissed back, putting his emotion from the past week into the kiss.  Dinah felt this and broke it.

"You know something, don't you?"

"Why ask that?"

"Because that kiss…just wasn't right."  Jack's face softened and he opened his arms to Dinah.  She slid into them and he wrapped them tightly around her. 

"I just don't want to loose you, luv.  I don't want to loose you."  Those were the last words Jack spoke to his wife that night.  

Eric and two of his men snuck into Jack's room around one in the morning.  Eric having a long bandanna in his hand and the other two had ropes.  There were about a dozen men down waiting for Dinah to be dropped into their arms.  Eric decided to increase the number; after all, he didn't want the ransom dying.  

Slowly the walked towards the bed, Eric saw something near the wall move.  He looked closer and thought, _a pig?  They have a pig for a pet?  Eric shook his head in disbelief and focused on the task on hand.  He slowly uncovered Dinah and saw that Jack was not grabbing on to her, which would make this whole process a lot easier. _

Quickly and quietly they three did their task without a noise or movement out of Dinah.  Eric smiled at how easy that was.  Now he had to focus on getting her out the window.  The three picked her up and walked over to the window.  Eric looked out and saw the twelve men waiting.  He sighed and prayed they wouldn't drop her, carefully, the three maneuvered her out the window and dropped their hands from holding her.

Dinah woke up the minute the twenty four hands touched her and started moving her in a certain direction.  She then realized that her ankles and hands were tied.  _This is impossible. She thought to herself as she was quite groggy still from being asleep and not really knowing what was happening. _

She heard a man talking and soon heard water lapping against what sounded like a ship. _This isn't happening…But it feels like I'm being…kidnapped.  _She then started trying to get out of the ropes or at least out of these men's hands to see where she was.  All she could see when she opened her eyes was the night sky.  But as she tried hard to get out of their grip, their grip tightened, soon enough it was too tight and she stopped and started crying.  

The amount of sleep she had gotten added to this crying.  Each night she would lay wide awake, thinking about Jack and how nice it was being in his arms and how he never wanted to leave.  And now, that she had gotten kidnapped and barely any sleep…it just made the whole thing worse.  

Soon she was put into a room on a cot and a man with blond hair in a pony tail and eyes almost as dark and big as Elizabeth's.  He knelt down beside her and said, "Don't worry luv, you'll be in good hands," But before he could get up, Dinah knocked his legs out from under him and he was down on the floor.  He looked and her and smiled, "You got some spunk eh?  Well we'll just see how spunky you feel tomorrow," and left the cabin and Dinah in complete darkness. 


	5. A Solved Mystery

          Jack woke up the next morning and rolled over to see no Dinah.  He panicked at first, but remembered that on some mornings she would go and make breakfast early.  _I love her._ Jack thought to himself.  He got up and went down stairs to hear nothing.  No sounds in the kitchen, no rustling in the living room.  The house was completely silent except for the various pirates snoring.  _Something's wrong. He thought.  _Dinah hadn't been going on walks without me…she wouldn't leave the house…and if she's not here…_  Jack thought the worse and climbed the stairs as fast at he could with the cast and knocked on Ana's door.  _

          "She's gone." 

          Ana had been half asleep when he had said that.  She sat up in the bed, pulling the covers up with her, "What?"

          "Dinah's gone.  They've taken her," Ana froze.  

          "They took her?"

          "She's not here, and she's not on a walk, because she doesn't leave without me an' Milton is here…"

          Ana got out of bed quickly and walked past Jack and went to their room.  The first thing she noticed was the open window.  "Jack!" she called and he hobbled over there.  He reached the room and grabbed his cane.  "The came in through the window.  We didn't even need the crew in the house.  The blasted man came in through the window!" Ana sighed in disgust, not believing that they didn't think of that tacit.  

          "Well do we know where they're going?"

          Ana shook her head.

          "Go get a carriage.  We're going to the nearest doctor to get this thing off.  And tell the crew to get the ship ready to shove off.  We're leaving."

          As soon as Jack and Ana got back from the doctors, he washed his leg off from the rancid smell that being in the cast had caused.  Jack and Ana had found that the crew had packed and loaded their things onto the _Pearl.  But right before Jack and Ana dashed out the door, James grabbed Jack's arm._

"My baby sister was just kidnapped…" He started off.  Jack knew right away what he wanted.

"Get your stuff.  We're leaving as soon as you come aboard.  Hannah and the twins can stay here with mum…if that's fine."

James nodded, "Right.  A ship ready for battle isn't any place for two-years-olds."  And he dashed into his room.

They left right away, not really knowing where they were going, but they were going to hit all the major islands in the whole Caribbean. 

-------------------

Dinah awoke the next morning to find that her condition had not improved but not worsened, except for the fact that her arms were sore.  She slowly pushed herself up from the bed.  She remembered her knife that was on her leg, but wasn't quite sure how she was going to be able to cut the ropes around her hands.  But quickly she put her hands under her rear, and up over her legs.  _There's still the problem of getting them cut…I first have to get it out of its protective holder…_ She thought to herself.  But she heard foot steps coming towards the cabin and waited.  The door opened to reveal her captor.

"'ello luv, I'm not sure if we've been properly introduced!  M'name is Eric Smith.  Captain of this 'ere Ship…now do you promise to be a good little girl?"  

_I swear, if I had my gun, he'd be dead.  Little girl?  Luv? _Dinah thought, but she nodded.  Hoping he would cut the ropes.  He did no such thing.  He untied the handkerchief from around her face.  He took of slowly, as if not sure what her response would be.  She stared at him as he seemed to be memorizing everything about her face.  

"I would appreciate it if you didn't call me 'luv' or 'little girl', Captain," Dinah said.

"And why would that be?"

"Do I look like a little girl to you?  No!  And for the 'luv'- that name is for me by my husband, and my husband only."

"Oh!  You mean Jack?"

"Yes.  I mean Jack." _You idiot. _

"Well okay then.  So what should I be callin' you?"

Dinah rolled her eyes, "My name is Dinah Sparrow.  Either Mrs. Sparrow or Dinah is…fine."

Eric nodded.  The sat in silence for a while and then she asked, "Why did you kidnap me?"

Eric took a seat beside her and said, "Well lass, I'm just followin' orders."

"How so?  You're the Captain."

"That I am, but I'm not the one who owns this ship.  The person who does, lets me Captain it, but I have to do umm…errands."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

Eric paused, he had never really thought of it as bothering… "Not really lass."

Dinah nodded, all this time not looking at him.  "So where are we going?"

Eric smiled wryly, "We're going to see Fredrick."

Dinah turned and looked at him, wondering who Fredrick and what he wanted with Jack.  "What business does he have with Jack?"

Eric clicked his tongue, "Now, that's none of _your_ business, lass.  But I'm sure you're hungry, so let me untie you and we'll go down and have somethin' to eat, savvy?"

"How do you know I won't try something after you untie me?" Dinah asked.

"Because I'll have a gun pointed at your head, if you do," Eric said with a serious look on his face.  Dinah nodded and he untied her.  

As Ana, James and Jack looked at several maps Jack had stashed in his cabin, looking for different islands and who they had on them, Ana began to wonder about how long this was going to take.  _I promised I'd meet with Evan at the end of this week… She thought.  She had totally forgotten about it at the time when Jack told her Dinah was kidnapped, but now, it seemed the only thing on her mind._

She wanted to ask the captain about leaving ship, but was a little afraid about the response that would get.  Then she thought she could write Evan, but she would have no way of getting the letter to him, and had no idea where he might be.  She sighed, imagining Evan at the Faithful Bride, waiting all night, getting irritated and leaving quickly.

"Ana!" Jack shouted.  Ana's eyes snapped open and she looked at Jack, "What the devil were you thinking about?  I've been trying to talk to you!"

"Oh…uhm…sorry."

Jack looked at her and nodded, "Okay, go to your posts, we'll go to the next island.  James- come and tell me when you see land." Jack said wearily.  The past three days made him look thirty years older.  He didn't seem to be getting any sleep and when he drank, he did it slowly, not in gulps.  James nodded and exited the cabin and Ana followed but stopped in the doorway.  She turned and asked, "Can I talk to you?"

Jack looked at her and nodded.  She shut the door and stood while he sat in his desk chair.  "Jack…I uh…promised Evan I would meet him at the Faithful Bride at the end of this week…"

"Why would you something like that?  When you knew Dinah was kidnapped?"

"No, I made before we even came upon Eric and his ship.  I promised him the night before I left…"

"What are you sayin' Ana?"

"Jack, I'm sayin' I promised…"

Jack paused and looked at Ana, "No."

"But Jack!  Our accord is off!  You're captain of the ship again…and so I'm not part of your crew anymore!"

"But you came along," He said getting up and looking at her, "We're not makin' any stops just so you can go off with your lover."

"You have to drop me off somewhere!" 

Jack narrowed his eyes, "You want to leave?"

"That's what I'm sayin'!  Jack, we made an accord before you got married that I wasn't going to be part of you're crew."

"Just because you're on m'ship doesn't mean you're part of m'crew!"

"Jack, this is important to me!  I need to go to Tortuga!" Ana yelled.

"Ana, this is important to me!  My wife is out there!" Jack yelled, pointing to the door, indicating 'out there'.

"I know.  But holdin' me against my will is just kidnapping me."

Jack sighed, "Ana, I need you here.  You're you were one of my best crew members and you left to go be with that fool.  And now that you're here and it's my choice to leave you or keep you…"

"But it's not your choice!" Ana yelled, stomping her foot, feeling herself loosing this battle, "I'm not part of your crew so you can't make those kinds of decisions for me!  I'm part of Evan's crew!  JACK!  We made a blasted accord and you're going to break that?"

"No."

Ana looked at him in disbelief and then a thought came to her, _it may be my only hope, "Jack, what if we went to Tortuga, I told Evan of our problem and both ships go lookin' for Dinah?"_

The thought appealed to Jack.  Two ships would make it quicker, and would cover more ground.  And the _Destroyer _was lookin' for the _Pearl__ not for the _Challenger_.  Jack had been up every night thinking of you it could've been.  But he had threatened and killed so many people; it was hard to think of anyone.  But he had to.  Dinah was out there, maybe already dead.  The thought sent shivers down his spine; he yearned for her in his arms, her soft skin against his, her voice in his ear.  He needed to see her face…__If Evan is the only way Ana will agree to stay on board for the time being…and the only way I'll get Dinah faster… "Fine. We'll go to Tortuga on Friday and meet with Evan._

There was a knock on the door before Ana could respond.  She opened it to find James, "There's something you might want to see Jack…" He said.  Both Ana and Jack came out of the cabin to find the remains of a sunken ship.  There was personal items and cargo and burned limbs of people floating on the water.  

Jack grimaced and thought of Cotton's tongue, "Ew…" He said.

"Any thoughts of who did it?" James asked.

Ana looked at the water, and found this very familiar.  Then something old popped into her head.  "Douglas."

"Huh?" Jack asked, looking at Ana.

She turned and said, "Remember when Kevin Johnson came aboard ship and he told us that _The Douglas had sunk his ship?"_

Jack nodded.

"Well actually he just said it started with a 'D' and Dinah offered that and he agreed.  But then Douglas came to take Dinah and said that he had never sunk any ships…he was telling the truth."

Jack waited.

"It was the _Destroyer._  That's the only explanation.  Eric said he had been looking for you for YEARS…"

"Yes, but why would he sink a ship now? He has Dinah…"

"He's trying to play with our minds.  Give us clues.  He just sunk a ship and killed probably six dozen people just to play with our minds…" Ana said in disgust, looking at the water.  Jack was silent as he too looked at the water.  "Remain of course James…" Jack said quietly after a few minutes.  Determined more than ever to find this man.


	6. Conversations

          **Authors Note: Are you guys reading out there?  I don't know!  I'm not getting reviews!  I just hoping you are reading it…but I'm not sure!  Reviews help me figure out my mistakes or make the story better!  Please Review, even if you think I stink!  But most of all- please read.  **

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"Why did you do that?  You had no reason to do that!" Dinah said, walking after Eric.  They had just sunk a cargo ship that didn't even have a warning.  Eric had let Dinah get some fresh air before going back into her cabin for who knew how long.  

          Eric turned around and Dinah almost bumped into him, "We aren't questionin' the Captain, are we?"

          "We aren't doing anything!  You just sank a ship with no warning or no reason!"

          Eric narrowed his eyes; most women wouldn't have talked back to a pirate captain.  Maybe living with a pirate toughened her up.  "Dinah, let me tell you something about pirates who aren't your husband…they don't like to justify their answers if they don't want to, savvy?"  He said, resting his elbows on the ship.

          Dinah crossed her arms.  Couldn't argue with him there, although she could irritate him.  He was a pirate after all.  "You're absolutely right!  How could I be so stupid?  You sank the ship because you're a despicable, sordid, horrible, bad-mouthing pirate."

          Eric turned his head to look at her.  She had a slight smirk on her face; he straightened and said, "Do you want to die?"

          She turned sober and got close to his face, "I don't care what you do to me now, you've already taken me away from Jack," she spat.

          He rested his elbows on the ship again and he said contently, "Well at least I've done something to make you mad."  Dinah rolled her eyes and went to her cabin and slammed the door.  Eric sighed, this was getting to be a harder job than he had thought it was going to be.  _What a sappy line…'you've already taken me away from jack'…give me a break.  The woman spends like maybe a year with him, marries him and then lives with him for another year and thinks she's in love.  _Eric turned around and faced her cabin.  _Although, I can see how Jack would find her attractive…she's not easy, but that makes her more interesting…more rounded…instead of flat… He turned back around, _Don't get into that again Eric…don't even bother going after a married woman…For one Jack would shoot you and for another, it's a stupid idea!  She's obviously in love with Jack…so stop it right now!  _Eric sighed again and asked one of his crew members, "How close are we?"_

          "I expect three or four more days, why?"

          "Great." He muttered.  He walked to Dinah's cabin and knocked on the door.  For a minute there was nothing and then she opened the door but didn't say anything, "Want to talk?" He offered.  She didn't say anything, but her eyes seemed to say yes, so he said, "I don't want you to be mad the whole way and stay in your cabin…You'll miss some great views."

          She looked him in the eyes and nodded.  He smiled and invited her out on deck.  She led the way to the stern and sat down, Eric followed the example except laid down.  The sun was setting and some stars were already starting to come out.  

          "So you going to tell me or do I have to guess?"

          He looked at her, "About what?"

          "Why you sunk that ship."

          He paused, "It was like a game…"

          "A game?" Dinah questioned.

          Eric nodded, "For uh…Ana.  She'll find it, think that I'm close, but when really I'm not.  We had a good seven or eight hours on the _Pearl__.  There's no possible way they're going to find us before we get to Fredrick."_

          "You mean you sunk that ship and killed those people for fun?"

          "Well I would've just sunk the ship, but then the people would have to come on with us!  Our brig isn't that big, lassie."

          Dinah rolled her eyes, "Still, there must've been a better way…"

          "Y'don't necessarily do things 'better' when you're a pirate."

          Dinah sighed, supposing that was right.  "So where are we going?"

          "I shouldn't be tellin' you this…"

          "But you're going to…"

          Eric smiled, "Isla Mona."

          "Huh?"

          "It's off the coast of Puerto Rico…and close to the Mona Passage…"

          "Never been there…"

          "Of course you haven't.  It's one of those islands you can't get there unless you know where it is."

          Dinah's head snapped to Eric, "You mean you're kidnapping me, taking me to an island where you can't find unless you know where it is, and Jack is supposed to follow us, but he doesn't know where we're going or where we are?"

          Eric paused, that sounded wrong, because if that was true then they had big problems.  "No…because I'm going to leave hints…"

          "You're going to leave sunken ships?"

          "No…can't go doin' that…I'll think of something, but don't worry.  Jack is smart, he'll be able to find you."

          Dinah was quiet, hoping with all her might that Eric was right, "So, can you tell me a little about Fredrick?  What's he like?"

          "HE?" Eric questioned and then laughed, "I have a feeling Fredrick is going to be different from what you're expecting…so let's just keep you in wonder."

          "Okay…so how'd you meet him?"

          Eric smiled, "Well oddly enough I was in the same position Jack is in right now…"

          "Really?"

          Eric nodded.

          "Can you tell me about it?" Dinah asked, suddenly figuring out that Eric wasn't that bad of a guy, except for the whole killing people thing.

          "Sure…I had been a pirate for a while, my father was, and I had grown up on his ship, learning about pirates, the code, sword play, and basic things like that.  My mother had died giving birth to me, so a father was all I knew.  Once I was old enough, my father had past his ship down to me and then retired to Tortuga.  But when I was around twenty five or so, I met someone…her name was Lola.  She had a spirit like a wild horse and was as stubborn as a donkey.  So she came on board with me, knowing almost everything about the sea and lived with me.  One day our ship had run into Fredrick's.  We fought, we lost.  But the thing Fredrick took was my ship…and Lola.  Fredrick told me that if I wanted to see Lola ever again I needed to do things for her…"

          "Like what?" Dinah interrupted, totally into the story.

          "Basically doing what I do, pilfering and plundering and things like that, but I had to give have the stuff I got, to Fredrick.  So at the end of each month I'd sail to Isla Mona, and give Fredrick what I got.  I'd see Lola, and then I'd leave again.  But one day we got attacked and our ship was damaged, so quickly we sailed back to Isla Mona, and told Fredrick.  _He gave us back my original ship and told us to keep up with the 'payments'.  Finally after a year, my job was done and Lola was mine again.  But Fredrick warned if _he_ ever found me again, I wouldn't get off for a year.   So I left, but two months later, Fredrick found me, kidnapped Lola and told me if I didn't do what _he_ told me, then _he'd_ kill her."_

          "So is she still with Fredrick?" Dinah asked, hoping it was a yes, that Eric hadn't done something stupid and lost his love forever.  But When Eric didn't answer right away and his eyes glazed over, she knew the answer.  

          "No…Fredrick killed her."

          "Why?!"

          Eric looked at Dinah, anger in his eyes, "That's why we've kidnapped you, lass.  To get Jack."

          "What? I'm lost…I must've not heard something because-"

          "I'm not going to tell you," Eric interrupted, "Because Fredrick wants to tell you and Jack…I guess.  I'm not quite sure, but I know that I'm not supposed to tell you."

          Dinah nodded.  Trying to figure this out, but nothing came to mind.  Visions of her being killed in front of Jack came to mind.  Dinah sighed.  She missed Jack so much.  She felt tears coming to her eyes as she thought of the unfairness of this all.  It seemed like they were being punished unjustly.  She got up and left to her cabin without even saying goodnight to Eric.

            "CAPTAIN!"

          "What is it?  Something about Dinah?"

          "We found this in a bottle, which was in a box labeled 'The Destroyer'." James and Ana and found some random cargo floating around for days now, but when this popped up, they had it brought in.  It was a note in a bottle, a rum bottle.  Jack smelled it first instead of reading the note.  "This still has its smell. They can't be too far off now."  He smiled and opened up the note.

          **To the _Black _****_Pearl_****-******

**                             I send my regards, if you get this letter, then Dinah does happen to mean something to you.  I am certainly glad that you decided to follow us, because otherwise kidnapping her was totally unnecessary and somewhat of a…nuisance, to say the least.  Captain Sparrow, you have proved yourself to be quite an honorable husband and I'm sure Dinah appreciates it.  But this letter is just to let you know, good job, keep up the good work and your wife is still alive.  **

          The letter ended there and Jack was thoroughly irritated.  He who mocks Jack doesn't usually live that long.  And if Dinah happens to live through this, which he really hoped she would, he would kill Eric Smith.  

          Jack's determination and yearning had grown with each passing day.  It was Thursday night, but where they were, it would take them another two days to get to Tortuga.  Ana hadn't seemed to care though.  And now she was purposing to keep going straight, thinking that they could surely catch the _Destroyer before they even got to their destination.  Where ever that may be.  _

          Later that night the thought of Evan came to Ana and she jumped out of bed and ran to Jack's cabin and entered without even knocking.  He wasn't sleeping.  He was plotting out where to go, and what island may be a possible destination for Eric and his crew.

          "Yes?"

          "Captain, tomorrow I'm supposed to meet Evan."

          "I realized that."

          "But Tortuga is more than two days away!"

          "I realized that too."

          "Then why haven't we turned around!?"

          Jack looked up, somewhat surprised that she didn't already know the answer to that, "Dinah's close, I can feel it."

          "So it's your wants above mine?"

          "Ana, I only agreed to meetin' Evan because of the help, but we're closer than I thought we'd be."

          Ana wasn't sure what to say.  But exhausted from having this argument already, she nodded, "Fine…fine!  I can talk to him about it later.  But if he never talks to me- I'm blamin' it on you and your bloody stubborn personality."

          "You know you want to find Dinah…" He said, looking back down at his maps.

          "Yes, but I'm no longer the **_only_ person who wants to find her…"**

          Jack looked up with seriousness, "What'd you mean?"

          "Jack, who wants to be a leftover?"  Jack gave her a look implying that he didn't know what she was talking about, "It's you and Dinah…and then me.  It's Jack-an'-Dinah….and Ana.  You two are a couple…and then there's me.  Not exactly the way I planned to spend my days Jack…that's one of the reasons I wanted off the ship.  Dinah is so close to me, that I would want to spend time with her, but you're with her…I'm not saying I don't like you…I'm just saying when it's you two and me…I have a tendency to want to leave to be with Evan, to be my own couple…with the person that I love."

          Jack sighed, realizing what she was saying.  Finally he knew why she had left, and why it was a bad idea to try to bring her back to the _Pearl.  She didn't want to.  She felt uncomfortable.  "Ana, after we find Dinah, I will take you where ever you want to go."  Jack said._

          Ana's expression softened, realizing that he knew.  _Finally._ She thought.  "Thanks Jack…" she smiled and left the cabin.  If she couldn't have Evan tomorrow, then it would be good to have him as soon as possible.  She wasn't sure how he'd react to her not showing up, and she wasn't quite sure if she could convince him that it had to be done…and she wasn't sure if he would forgive her.  She sighed.  Being in love with a stubborn pirate who likes being on his own unless it suits him, wasn't really the best thing…but it worked.  


	7. Don't Count Your Ships Before They Land

          Three days later Eric knocked on Dinah's door.  He hadn't seen her face since they talked and figured she was missing Jack.  He understood since he had been in somewhat the same position, so he took pity on her and didn't bother her.  He knocked again when no one answered.

          "Yes?"  She asked once she opened the door.  Eric was about to ask what was wrong since she was pale as a ghost and had swollen and bloodshot eyes.

          "Uh…I was just wondering if you might want a bath…"

          Dinah almost jumped at the opportunity but then asked, "Why?"

          He shrugged, "I thought you might want to look nice for your guest…"

          "What?  So he can kill me?"

          "Fredrick won't kill you…" Eric said but thought, _Fredrick might kill Jack…but not you._

"Eric I'd love the bath, but no.  I don't need to pristine up for Fredrick, so I'm not going to."

          He sighed and nodded, understanding completely.  She seemed a little bitter on the matter but that too was very understandable.  He nodded again and shut the door.  They were arriving late tonight.  If all worked out well, Eric would be able to leave and never see Fredrick again.

          Evan took another swig of rum and sighed, he knew this was going to happen._  That bloody woman left me alone in that blasted tavern, waiting for nearly six hours for her to come.  Yes, I was mad for her leaving me and that's why I didn't stay to see her leave, but I didn't think she would do this to me…well thought she might, but didn't think she would._

"You think you know person after living with them for two years…" Evan muttered to himself.  The words seemed to stand still in his cabin.  After his ship had left Tortuga he told his crew to look for the _Pearl__, and to alert him if they found it. _

          Ana was everything Evan had hoped to find but hadn't in his last two lovers.  The first one he had found on Tortuga, but she had a brain the size of a peanut, and all that seemed to be forced into her brain were facts about her job on Tortuga.  The second one he kidnapped from a ship he raided found her attractive, slept with her but then once he got to know her, found out that she hated ships and the ocean.  She was returned soon enough.

          Then there was Ana.  Beautiful, spirited, and could easily beat any man at clashing swords.  The woman could also hold liquor like no other.  But the thing that Evan appreciated from Ana was that she loved the ocean.  She loved being on board a ship, loved steering a ship and wasn't afraid of the death that might come to her each time she stepped on a British island.  

          He gulped down another amount of rum and sighed again.  He gone attached to Ana, and on some level so had his heart.  So that's why it had hurt so when she didn't show.  He now had in his mind that Jack and the _Pearl were more important than him.  Jack, that bloody pirate who had captured Ana's attentions with his ship, had somehow made her not show up.  Either that or she forgot-which made Evan even more enraged.  He frowned, and thought of how many ways he could yell at Ana._

          Jack had retired early to his cabin, like he had every night, got out his last bottle of rum, popped the cork and took a drink.  He burped and sat on the edge of his bed.  He now wished that he had brought Milton along, thinking that the pig would bring some sort of comfort to him, knowing that it was Dinah's.

          His leg had been giving him more discomfort each day and he blamed it all on Eric.  If he hadn't kidnapped Dinah then Jack wouldn't have had to take the cast off and follow him, which then his leg wouldn't be hurting right now.  He had told Roberts about the pain and he gave Jack some sort of pill, and it was oddly enough working.  Jack had asked where Roberts got the pills, but he wouldn't tell him.  Jack laughed heartily and went to his cabin.

          In some ways Jack had blamed himself for the kidnap.  The speech that Dinah had given before going to bed, mixed with the little rum that Jack had drank gave him comfort in thinking Dinah was right, nothing was going to happen.  Unfortunately, when Jack drinks even a little, he sleeps hard.  He sighed, and rubbed his forehead, thinking of how they took her.  He now knew how Will had felt with Barbossa's crew took Elizabeth.  

          He now realized that in some ways, their situations were the same.  The person who had meant the most to them had been taken away.  Then, they both asked for help.  Will asked Jack, knowing he was a pirate and thinking he might know where to go to find Elizabeth.  Jack asked Ana, knowing that Dinah meant a lot to her and also knowing that he would need Ana on his ship while looking for Dinah.   

          He also tried to think about how Douglas must've felt when he kidnapped Dinah from his ship.  Dinah had meant a lot to Douglas then, but not a whole lot to Jack.  Yes, he was a bit pleased to see Dinah again, but taking her on board wasn't really a kidnapping to him, it was more like a reunion.  He wanted to be with Dinah; he wanted to talk to her and smell her familiar scent and touch her soft skin.  He had missed her.  

          He missed her more than ever now though.  Now, they had a strong bond.  They weren't just a past couple, now they were married, and had shared a bed, and shared two years of their life with each other.  Jack sometime heard that if you shared a bed with a woman then you would always have a bond with them, he had never found that true until he married Dinah.  He wished now more than ever that he could take her in his arms and just hold her and love her.  

          He sighed, taking another drink, intending on sleeping soundly tonight and hoping he would find Dinah soon.

          "Captain!" came a yell from the deck the _Destroyer.  Eric came quickly._

          "What is it?"

          The man pointed and Eric frowned.  "It can't be," He whispered harshly.  The island was in sight yet a ship was behind them, and if Eric thought who it was, then it was the _Pearl__. Eric got a eyeglass and looked, sure enough it was the __Pearl__.  He told the crew to man their stations under deck and start rowing toward the island; it would get them their faster.  _

          Dinah came out of her cabin once she heard al the men going down stairs.  She leaned over the side of the ship and saw the thing that she had been dreaming about for more than a week.  It was the _Pearl__, and if it was the __Pearl, then that meant that it was Jack.  Dinah heard the oars come out and felt the ship jolt as the men started rowing.  She was sure that they would get to the island first, but at least Jack knew where she was._

          "Captain!" came a yell from the deck the _Challenger.  Evan came quickly._

          "What is it?"

          A man pointed and Evan followed his finger.  Up ahead was the _Pearl__.  Evan smiled, _Finally___.  Evan, not seeing that the __Pearl was following someone else, told his crew to speed up to the _Pearl_ and load canons.  They were going to disable the ship as soon as possible._

          "Captain!"  Ana yelled, pounding on Jack's door.  He opened it and she pulled him out on deck, the sun was just about to reach the water to set.  "We have problems."  

          "Why's that?"

          "Because Eric's noticed that we've caught up and there's someone following us…and the ship that's following us has the same…well let's just say it resembles Evan's ship in a huge way."

          Jack gaped at what Ana just said, and looked at both ships, both seeming to be going in opposite directions of where Jack wanted them to go.  "Why didn't you tell me Eric's ship was so close?"  Jack yelled.  

          Ana shrugged, "It didn't seem important."

          "Well it is now, their gettin' away!  Now tell James to hurry up and catch the _Destroyer and you and Gibbs go load the canons, were going to try to disable Eric's ship and hopefully all Evan wants to do is talk to you…" Jack said.  But as she rushed down stairs, both of them were thinking that it was slim chance that he only wanted to talk to Ana.  _

          Jack ran to the bow of the ship took over the helm.  He tried to maneuver away from Evan's ship and somehow hoped that if he did this right, he would be right on top of Eric's ship.  But when a canon just skimmed the _Pearl__'s hull, Jack was a little more than angry.  Here his wife was being taken to an island that was rapidly approaching and Jack had never been to and Ana's psycho lover was trying to blow holes in his ship, like he needed anymore stress right now._

          "Why didn't we hit them?" Evan asked his first mate.

          He shook his head, "Sparrow seems to be maneuvering out of the way.  The men down below hadn't noticed, I s'pose."

          "Well get down there and tell them to pay more attention!" Evan boomed.

          Eric and Dinah's head snapped when they heard a canon shot.  Eric wasn't really paying attention to the _Pearl__, but to getting to the island in the right place.  But when he turned to see Jack's ship in a rather odd position he started to feel the heat of this situation.  But he also caught a glimpse of the ship that was firing at the __Pearl__.  Eric hoped that it was only after the __Pearl__ and not both of them._

          _Who is that?_ Dinah thought to herself and she took Eric's eyeglass out of his hands.  But the ship was too far away.  The only reasonable explanation she could think of was Evan's ship, though she didn't know _why he would be firing at the __Pearl__. But if it wasn't Evan's ship then it was another pirate.  Which neither of the ships needed right now, there was enough problems as it was without throwing in another pirate just to out to get some loot._

          Jack was now close enough to see the silhouette of Dinah's figure.  And Jack's thought's almost drifted to her, but then a canon hit his ship.  He snapped his head, his beads clanking against his forehead, "Why did he hit us?" Jack yelled to anyone that would answer.  "GIBBS!  FIRE BACK!" He yelled, hoping he heard the command.  A few seconds later a canon fired from below deck and hit the _Challenger._  But not a second later Ana was in front of Jack, blocking his view, yelling in his face.

          "What in the bloody 'ell do you think yer doin'?"

          "I'm firin' at Evan's ship!  That's what!"

          "Why?"

          "Because he fired at us!" Jack yelled back.  The answer seemed so obvious, yet Ana was talking to him, like he was a lunatic, "What do you expect me to do?  Just let 'em fire at us?  I thought you were smarter than that!"

          "But Jack it's-"

          "I don't care who the blast it is!  They're a threat lass, and just because you have feelin's for him doesn't mean I'm going to bass m'judgement on it.  You can't let feelin's cloud yer judgment."

          "How 'bout Dinah?!"

          "THEY WANT ME TO FOLLOW HER!" Jack yelled, "What am I supposed to do?  Let them kill her?  She's m'wife!  Evan ain't nothin' more than a lover!"  Jack noticed Ana's somewhat hurt facial expression when that exited Jack's mouth and he quickly added, "That yer gunna get to see and kiss and love after we're done, but that doesn't erase the fact that he's blowin' bloody holes in my ship!"

          "FINE!" Ana yelled.  She was somewhat glad that Jack didn't forget _this _promise, and was still intending on going through with it.  But this whole thing was making her mad.  It was a bad position being in between your love and your captain.  

          She and Jack turned to look at Eric's ship and realized that they had already dropped anchor and manned the sea boats to the island.  And then they noticed that they better be quick to do the same.  They were almost close enough to see each detail of each cabin door on the _Destroyer.  _

          Ana left without words and went to get the crew ready.  Although half were staying on board, they still needed to defend the ship against Evan's.

          "What are they doin' now?" Evan asked, more to himself than anyone else.

          Yet, his first mate answered, "It looks like their goin' to the island."

          "That's what it looks like.  Well we'll let's drop anchor and set a plank between the _Pearl and us, so when Ana is there, we'll be ready for her."_

          "Aye, Captain."  And the man scurried off.  Evan wasn't quite sure where they were going, but he now noticed the other ship.  _The _Destroyer_…hmm…never heard of it.  And why was the Pearl__ followin' it?  And where the blast are we?  I don't think this island is even charted.  It doesn't look familiar at all and neither do the waters.  What business does Ana have here?  I would get off and follow her, but there's no point of getting lost in the jungle with her when I'm mad.  I'll just wait._


	8. Meeting Fredrick

          Jack and Ana didn't get far until they heard voices a few yards away.  He quietly followed the voices but then Ana stopped short.  Jack turned and looked at her, she had a silver blade, running across her neck, slightly catching the setting sun.  Jack drew out his sword and looked for anyone and anything.  Eric slowly came out of the brush and said, "We meet again Ana."

          Jack drew up his sword to his neck and said, "I don't think we've met mate, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, where's m'wife?"

          Eric sighed and whistled, out came his crew all with guns pointed at Jack and Ana.  Jack eyed the men, but never moved his head and never moved his sword.  

          "I don't think you got my question, mate.  Where is my wife?"

          "In safe hands, that's all I can say."

          "Who is she with?"

          "No need to be answerin' that, since you'll soon be meetin' with the same person."

          "Then take me there," Jack said putting away his sword.  Eric studied Jack, he seemed strong enough.  But never actually meeting the pirate captain, Eric was a bit disappointed at what he saw.  Some how he was expecting more…he wasn't sure of what, but just more.

          "Men," Eric said, they put their guns away and Eric put down his sword and stepped fully out of the brush, and walked past Jack and started going forward.  Jack and Ana followed him and Eric's crew after them.  They were all silent until Eric stopped.  Jack walked up next to him and saw in front of him a large house, with waterfalls around it and flowers of all sorts.  

          "This is where the person who threatens me lives?" Jack questioned, giving Eric a 'yea right' look.

          "Go ahead Captain; Fredrick unlocked the door just for you…"

          Jack looked at him and then motioned for Ana to come along.  They both walked up to the house and Jack paused before trying the handle.  He wiggled his fingers just above it and then opened it.  Inside was dimly lit and right in front of them was a woman, standing with her legs apart and a hand on her hip and a hand on her sword.

          "'ello luv, I've been waitin' for you."

          Jack lifted an eyebrow, "Yer a bloody female!?"  Jack questioned, not believing his eyes.

          "Aye, and yer a man, what about it?"

          "But Eric kept callin' you Fredrick," Ana answered.

          "It's me last name, lass.  I'm Scarlet Fredrick…and I'm pleased to meet you." She said pulling out her sword slowly.  Jack and Ana kept their hands on their swords, since Scarlet wasn't making any swift moves.

          "Where's Dinah?" Jack asked, getting right to the point.

          "Ah!  It's Dinah, is it?  The blasted woman wouldn't tell me anything.  Please, come this way," she pointed with her sword but waited until Ana and Jack started walking to follow them.  They walked into a room that was lighted more than the entrance and in a chair sat Dinah, hands tied behind her back and rope, tied around her head, making it hard for her to do anything but swallow.  Once Jack's eyes landed on her, he quickly walked to her, but when he was an arms length away, Jack heard Scarlet's gun cock.

          "Now Jack, we can't have you goin' and takin' me hostage away!  What kind of pirate would I be if let you do that?"

          "An alive one," He said.

          She smiled, "You're not really in the position to be makin' those kinds of threats, now are ye?"

          Jack's back straightened and he turned to face her, "What do you want?"

          "Well let me tell you a little story…Once upon a time I came upon Eric's ship.  I raided it, took his whore, and switched ships with him.  I told him the only way he'd see his whore again was if he raided ships for me for a year.  He did, and then I got half the plunderin'.  So I let him go with his ship and warned him if I saw him again, I do the same thing.  Some odd months later, I caught him, and did the exact same thing, except told him I'd kill his whore if he didn't do this.  Well after havin' a huge raid, guess who decides to raid him?"  She asked looking at Jack.  He suddenly remembered where he had heard the ships name before and cursed himself for what position he was in now.

          "So I took everything he got and you killed his whore.  Yet, it was nothin' more than bad luck, is that what you're tellin' us?"

          Scarlet sighed, pulled out her gun and pointed it at Dinah's head, "Nothin' more than bad luck mate?"

          Jack paused, "What do you want me to do?"

          "Go out and do the same thing that Eric did."

          "How 'bout I give you the location to Isle of De Muerta?"

          Scarlet paused, she had heard of how Barbossa stored all his treasure in there for over ten years, but then remembered her situation. "How 'bout you go there instead of me?"

          "Why can't you go?" Ana asked rudely.  

          Scarlet slowly turned her head to Ana and said, "What did you say to me?"

          Ana stood up straighter and said with no fear, "Why don't you do it yourself?"

          "You know, you're dumber than I thought!  What's the _real joy of being a pirate?  It's one, being on the open seas and havin' more freedom than you've ever imagined and two, getting to raid ships.  So then why would I blackmail someone into goin' out and doin' the one thing that brings me pleasure?"_

          Ana looked almost shocked, "There's something wrong with you,"

          Scarlet nodded, "Aye mate, I'm soon to be dead.  My doc said somethin' about internal bleedin'…"

          "Why not retire?" Jack asked.

          "Yuh know, I've thought about it, but if I changed me mind now, you'd get away and I'd get nothing."

          "You're obviously rich enough to retire, so what do you want?"

          Scarlet paused, "I want a link to the outside world, mate!  It's borin' stayin' here all hours of the day!  At least when someone drops off the loot, there's someone to talk to!"

          "You want company?" Ana asked.

          Scarlet shot her a look, "Now don't go makin' me look all weak, lass.  I don't need no one, but I do need somethin' other than this bloody house!"

          "You know-" Ana started, but was cut off.

          "I don't bloody care what you think!   Jack, are you gunna do it or not?" Scarlet asked, putting the gun closer to Dinah's head.

          Jack looked at Dinah, and made eye contact with her.  He used to hate how he could tell if you hurt Dinah or not just from her eyes, but now, seeing them again brought him comfort.  He thought about if Scarlet was really the kind of person to pull the trigger…_But she did kill Eric's lover… Jack reasoned.  He wasn't going to do this for Scarlet, but he wasn't willing to let Dinah die.  But if he attacked Scarlet, it would be an unfair fight.  Jack wouldn't be able to live with himself if he knew that he pinned a woman and own just because he was bigger and stronger.  The only person who would be able to do anything against Scarlet that was more than verbal fighting, it had to be Ana Maria._

          Just when he was about to bargain more with Scarlet, he heard, "You call yerself a pirate."

          Jack turned his head, "What was that?"

          "Scarlet," Ana said pointing to her, but not talking to anyone in particular, "you call yerself a pirate yet you care about a what a bloody doctor says.  What if he was wrong?  Like modern medicine is up to speed."

          Scarlet narrowed her eyes, "What are you sayin'?"

          "I'm sayin' that if you really loved the sea as much as you said you did, then you would still be out there, and you would at least die on the sea, and not in a house while blackmailin' someone."

          Scarlet paused and then walked slowly up to Ana, and she continued, "At least on the sea you can die an _honorable death."_

          "Mighty big words for someone that doesn't have the gun pointed at her." Scarlet said and raised the gun in Dinah's direction.  She shot but Ana pushed her hand and the bullet only skimmed Dinah.  She screamed in pain, the gun got knocked out of Scarlet's hand and Ana tackled her.  Jack went straight for Dinah; he untied her mouth and her hands and picked her up.  She was crying and holding her side, with one arm wrapped around her husbands neck.  They watched as Ana pinned Scarlet with ease.  Jack threw her the rope and Ana flipped her over, and tied her hands and ankles.  Ana got up, sighed and looked at Dinah.

          "Her side, Jack," Ana pointed, Dinah's hand was all bloody.  Ana grimaced but tore off part of her sleeve and put it under Dinah's hand, "Hold it tightly there, lass.  We'll be home soon."  Dinah obeyed and Jack ran with Ana out of the house, leaving Scarlet on the floor, tied up. 

          When Jack and Ana reached the _Pearl, they noticed that Eric's ship was long gone.  Dinah figured as much, he wanted to get away from Scarlet and her island for a long time, and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to do so.  Jack rushed her downstairs to the galley where Roberts was cooking.  He stopped when he heard loud and hard footsteps coming down, Jack gently put Dinah down on the counter and said to Roberts while un tucking Dinah's shirt and lifting it up to see the wound fully, "She got more than grazed by a bullet."_

          Robert's had had some experience with medicine before he came aboard the _Pearl__.  So he was the only person on board who knew how to treat cuts and scraps, gun wounds and sword scars.  He reached under the counter and pulled out some gauze and some padding for the wound.  Jack was smoothing her hair and holding her hand as he watched Roberts work.  _

          One thing Jack did know about gun shots was that if you lost enough blood from it, you could die.  Jack sighed.  He was hoping to sleep with Dinah tonight, and he didn't doubt she was hoping the same thing, but with this wound on her side, they weren't going to be able to do anything more than cuddle.

          Roberts worked quickly, putting on the padding, to soak up some blood, and then wrapping the gauze around her.  When he was done, Jack looked at him with pure thankfulness.  Roberts saw it and tipped his head slightly, as if saying 'your welcome'.  "Okay Captain, don't do anything too stressful t'nite, and remind me to make her only soup and…come in tomorrow morning to change the bandage." He said, to Jack and to Dinah.

          Jack nodded and Dinah meekly said, "Thanks Roberts."

          He smiled, "No problem miss."  Jack picked her up carefully and she wrapped her arms around his neck and he carried her up the stairs.  He took her to his cabin, not paying attention to anything else but getting her there and set her on their bed.  "Jack…" She said as he turned to leave.

          He turned and walked to her side.  She grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him down to kiss him.  He half smiled and kissed her back, both of them putting in feelings of missing, sadness and hurt.  Jack broke the kiss and said lightly, hovering over her, "Get some rest; it's been a tough day."

          "I missed you so much…" She said not letting go.

          "I did too luv, but I can't deny that you're hurt."

          "Just come lay with me…" She said.  Jack almost melt from the tone and the conviction behind that simple request, but he remembered his crew and his promise to Ana.

          "I have things to tend to, luv, but it won't take more than twenty minutes, I promise."  She agreed and Jack left.  Once he shut the door and looked around, he saw Ana and Evan standing in the middle of his ship, both with distraught looks on their faces and both with their arms crossed.  They turned to look at Jack, pointed to each other and said, "TELL (him/her) TO LEAVE!"


	9. Emotional

Jack sighed and looked at the two.  _All I have to say is if this isn't resolved in twenty minutes, I'm leaving.  "What seems to be the problem?"_

          "Jack, she's not a part of your crew anymore, she belongs on my ship." Evan spoke first.

          "I totally agree."

          Ana made a face, "JACK!  Did you hear the things he was sayin' to me?  Blaming me for not showin' up at Tortuga," She turned and said to Evan, "It was Jack's fault!  He had to go get Dinah!"

Jack frowned, _my fault?  I wouldn't necessarily say it was MY fault…more like Eric's…_ Jack was about to object to that but remembered what Ana had said when Jack refused to go through with plans of going to Tortuga.  **_But if he never talks to me- I'm blamin' it on you and your bloody stubborn personality.  _"Well Ana, at least he's willin' to talk to you!"**

Ana rolled her eyes and said, "Get him off your ship!"

"Why?  Aren't I supposed to get _both of you off my ship?  I'm not really seein' the reason why your mad at him…"_

Ana's mouth dropped and then shut and then she said, "He blew holes in your ship!"

Jack's memory was sparked and he said, "Oh right, about that mate, I don't full well appreciate that.  We'll need to go to the nearest port to fix that hole!" 

"It was only to get Ana's attention.  I didn't know you were on the ship.  I didn't even know why she was way over here."

Ana crossed her arms.  Jack studied the two, "Well Ana, it looks like this is good-bye."

"What!?  Why?" She squawked. 

"Because I promised you I'd return you to your ship and you're not giving me a real good reason as to why you're mad at him in the first place."

"I'm mad at him because he was mad at me for not showin' up!"

"Are you trying to tell me that I didn't have a right to be mad?!" Evan yelled.

"You didn't even know the whole story and you come on to this ship yelling and screamin' at me like I'm your dog."

Evan didn't respond and Jack just stood there listening.  Ana sighed, "Fine.  I'll go.  But don't expect me to talk to you."

"That might be kind of hard luv, since we're sharin' a bed…" Evan said as she went to her cabin to get her things.

"That's what you think!  And don't call me luv, you jerk."

Jack laughed and Evan rolled his eyes.  "It amazes me that women never like that name when they're mad…" Jack said.

"How's Dinah?" Evan asked.  

Jack sobered up and looked at Evan, it was probably the first time that he had ever heard a concerned question about Jack's life come out of his mouth, "She got shot…grazed, but more than that…in the side."

"I'm sorry.  I hope she gets better."

"Yes…well if she doesn't…I don't know what I'd do with myself." Jack said as his eyes glazed over thinking about the possibility about life without his wife.

Just then Ana threw her trunk out of the cabin.  She walked past Evan and said, "Take it to the ship," And walked into Jack's cabin.

Dinah stirred and Ana shut the door quietly.  She sat on the edge of the bed and Dinah opened her eyes, she smiled. "Why Ana…how are you?"

Ana smiled and said, "I'm leaving…I'm going to Evan's ship…"

"Oh, is he alright?  I wasn't sure since I saw him shooting at Jack's ship…"

"He's fine…I guess he was just mad at me and trying to get my attention."

"Oh…how sweet of him…"

"Huh?"

"Ana, don't loose him…he's all you got."

Ana questioned Dinah, "What do you mean?"

"You love him…don't forget that."

Ana paused, kissed Dinah on the forehead and said, "Take care of yourself…and I'll come and visit while you're at Barbados…"  Dinah nodded and smiled.  Ana left the cabin quickly before she would cry and met Evan outside.  "You take care of her, Jack Sparrow…" Ana said pointing at him.  He nodded and stuck out his hand.  Ana smiled and shook it.  "Pleasure sailin' with you Captain."  He nodded.  She turned and went to the side of the ship where the blank between ships was.  Evan offered his hand but she ignored it and boosted herself up and walked across herself.  Evan turned and shrugged at Jack and went across himself.

          "Do you think Ana loves Evan?" Jack asked early that morning, wondering what could've happened so far in their journey to where ever Evan wanted to go.  He was hoping that he hadn't killed her.

          "Hmm?" Dinah said rolling over and putting her arms around Jack.  Earlier this morning, Dinah had felt something wet on the sheets and looked to see blood.  Her bandage had bled through.  She woke Jack and he promptly took her to Roberts, and while she was getting new bandages, he changed the sheets.  She had cried, because it was early and she hadn't meant to bleed through, Jack just smiled and told her that it wasn't her fault.  So they went back to bed and now, Jack had woken up and asked the question that had been bothering him for quite some time.

          "Do you think Ana loves Evan?"

          "Yes," She said simply, "And she knows it, but doesn't want to admit it to herself.  She doesn't want to admit that she needs someone to depend on and someone that depends on her."

          Jack looked at his wife and then settled back, "hmph." He had never really thought of it that way, but now that he thought about it, Dinah was right.  Ana was that sort of person.  He sighed, content that his wife was in his arms, and that Ana was with Evan.  He just hoped that they were getting along.

**Ten hours earlier: **  

          "Ana, can we talk?" Evan asked.  Ana was lying in the crows nest, with her legs dangling over the side, she fit pretty nicely.  Evan was on the other side of the pole, which was the only place he could fit.  

Ana rolled her eyes and said, "I suppose…but the idea of being up here, is to be away from everyone."

          Evan sighed, "Why are you mad at me?"

          "Because you were rude to me."

          "But when other people are rude to you, you ignore it, what makes me so special?"

          Ana sighed, not really wanting to tell him what she was thinking, "Evan, doesn't the word 'lovers' mean anything to you?"

          "Well I'm sorry Dinah, you made me mad by not showing up at Tortuga."

          "Oh!  So that's a good reason to yell and scream accusations at me?"

          "What can I say other than sorry?  I don't want to go to bed t'night with tension hovering over me…"

          Ana snorted, "Yea, I know how you feel."

          "So everything's fine?"

          She nodded.

          "Okay, well then I'll see you in the cabin," Evan said and quickly left the crows nest.  Ana sighed.  She wasn't sure why she was being all emotional about all this.  He was right; if it was anyone else he wouldn't have acted this way.  She figured it was just that time of the bloody month and if she was right, it would be starting tomorrow.  She figured it was going to be worse she last month it didn't happen.  So feared that with all her might.  But there was no way getting around it.  She sighed and got up, ready to go to bed. 


	10. Giselle

          "Knock, knock?" James entered the next afternoon, seeing if it was alright to come and visit his baby sister.  

          "James!  How are you?" Dinah asked, not even trying to move, the wound had become sore, much to Dinah chagrin.  

          He walked to her and sat on the edge of the bed next to her, "I heard you up moving around early this morning…What happened?"

          "Oh…I had bled through and the sheets had blood on them…and dear sweet Jack took me down to Roberts to get cleaned up and then he came back here to change the sheets…"

          James smiled, remembering his own wife at Katherine's.

          "So, James, what's in store for you and Hannah?"

          "We're thinking of going to mothers…" He said.

          "Oh!  Well send mother our love…and then you must be planning to go home?"

          He nodded.

          "Good.  Tell Elizabeth that her picture was wonderful."

          "What picture?"

          Dinah pointed to Jack's desk, where it still stood, James got up and picked it up.  He looked at it for a few minutes and then said, "She drew this?"

          Dinah nodded, "Isn't it wonderful?  Her talents are growing each day!"

          James nodded.  

          "You miss Hannah, don't you?" Dinah asked.  James looked up, put the picture down and then finally nodded.  "Well why did you come and leave them there?"

          "I couldn't bring her and the children along!  And my sister had been kidnapped, what was I supposed to do?"

          "I agree.  I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be kidnapped…."  James smiled.  Suddenly, Jack came in, not looking up, but looking at a bowl of soup he was carrying.

          "Now luv, I'm going to feed you this, and don't start laughing at me…I'm trying very hard not to drop-" He stopped when he looked up and saw James.  He straightened and said, "James, I didn't know you were in here…"

          James stood up, "No need to explain Captain…" Jack noticed the title and was little surprised. 

          "I'll come see my sister later…you are after all her…husband…" He said and quickly left.

          Jack watched him leave and then looked at Dinah, "Strange fellow, your brother…" He said smiling and then took the bowl of soup to his wife to feed her, and nurse her back to health.

As the days moved on, Dinah found it harder and harder to be on the _Pearl__.  It wasn't Jack getting on her nerves or any of the crew; she just felt sick all the time and stayed in bed most of the time they weren't on land.  When they finally made it to Barbados, Jack was in a good mood; his wife had made him a happy man the night before, making him forget about her being somewhat sick.  _

          Katherine and Milton came running to the two and Katherine almost fainted when she saw what had happened to Dinah.

          "Oh Peanut!" she gasped, "What ever happened to you?"

          She sighed, "I was almost killed, but Ana saved my life."

          "Ah… and where was your husband during this time?" She asked, casting a glance at her son.  Jack rolled his eyes.

          Dinah smiled and put her arm around his waist, "He was being fair…he didn't want to hurt a woman…"  

          Katherine nodded, "Fine, fine, you two can tell me all about it inside!  James! You're wife and your kids miss you!" Katherine said to James.  

          "Good!  He said, walking ahead to go meet the family that he had missed so much during the three and a half weeks on board.

          Katherine smiled, and then walked with Jack and Dinah back to the house.

          Ana sighed, she tried to ignore the noise and the bones hitting bones while she sat in the back of the Faithful Bride.  She had a mug of rum sitting in front of her, but she wasn't really focusing on it.  She was looking at Evan, who was talking to either a bar tender or a hooker, Ana really couldn't tell which.

          He seemed to be trying to get away from her, and go back to sit with Ana.  He kept glancing at her and then nodding at the woman.  She finally had gotten tired of the looks that she went over there and slipped her hand through Evans.  He jumped, but looked relived when he saw it was her.  

          "Oh, and 'ho is this?" The woman asked.  She had blond hair and too much make up on for anyone's taste.

          "Ana Maria, and you are?"

          "Giselle…pleased to meet yuh!"  she stuck out her hand and Ana just stared at it.  "Well, I'll be seein' yuh later luv…" Giselle said patting Evan's cheek and then sliding her hand across his face as she left.  Ana watched her leave and then stared at Evan.

          "Nice woman…" She started, not sure what to think.

          He nodded, not making eye contact with her, but leading her over to the table where she was sitting before.  The sat down and she asked with a smirk, "So, how do you know Giselle?  Distant cousin?"

          Evan looked into her eyes and the smirk went off Ana's face, "What?"

          "Ana I can't lie to you…"

          She paused, "I have a feelin' you already have mate…"

          He looked at his hands and then looked at her, "You remember that night when you never showed?"

          Ana stared at him for a minute and then looked around, the room seemed to be going in slow motion, her senses had slowed as soon as she heard what Evan had said.  She suddenly knew how he knew Giselle.  She looked around to see if she was around, because she felt like blowing off some steam…from her gun.

          She finally made eye contact with him.  "Why tell me now?  Why not wait until we're married or when I'm about to die?  How many other girls, Evan?  Was it only her?" Ana's voice rose with each question, and soon the punching and the fighting did stop, each man in there knew how Evan was feeling, and was silent for her to make her speech, afraid that if they weren't, she'd kill each and every one of them.

          "Ana, you don't understand-"

          "Oh I completely understand Evan!  You don't have to explain it to me really…" Ana felt her temper rising, if she didn't get out of her quickly then she'd burst from the confinement.  She ran out the door and screamed and pulled out her gun and shot up into the air.  Evan ran after her and grabbed a hold of her shoulders to make her stop.  She turned around and slapped him in the face.

          "Get away from me you…you…AH!" She screamed, breaking away from his grip.  "I don't know why I even trusted you!"

          "Are you telling me that you've never had…"

          "No!  You're the only person I've been with for two years, and how do you honor that?  By goin' and sleepin' with the first prostitute you see!  What if I was only an hour late?  Would've I had walked in on you two, or did you wait a whole two hours before you jumped in bed?"

          "Ana-"

          "No!  Really, I want to know!"

          He stood there and looked at her, remorse all over his face, but Ana didn't care.  She had a little voice telling her that she was overreacting, but she didn't care, she was lashing out with her feelings this time, which was something she hadn't done since her parents had died.  She let out a huge breath, fed up completely with Evan.  "Forget it, okay?  I'll see you on the ship."  

          As she walked to the dock, she wasn't quite sure if he had taken it the way she wanted him to take it.  She didn't want him to think she was forgiving him, yes she didn't want to hear what he had to say, but not now, she needed time to cool off.  As she became more aware of her feelings, and more in control she thought about tonight.  She certainly wasn't sleeping in the same bed as him.  She sighed, not knowing what to do.  He was her captain, yet her lover.  If she kicked him out of his own bed and cabin, that was something that a lover would do, not a crew member.  So as a person who was part of his crew, she needed to show him respect.  

          _Blasted man.__  I don't want to show respect right now.  I want to punch a hole through a wall, I want to wreck havoc on a ship, I want to…_ She would think about killing someone, but she had only killed someone once, and that was for own self defense.  She had told Jack about not liking having someone's dead body hanging over her head, and he was fine with it.  He and the crew did most of the killing, but only when necessary. This wasn't a necessary situation.  

          She got on board, collected her stuff and got a cot and put it in with Willis.  Willis was a crew man who mostly handled the helm when Evan didn't.  She had gotten to know the man quite well, and was somewhat happy that she knew someone on board that she could share a cabin with, but not the details of her life.  Wills was happy with the information that was given to him.

          She sighed, laid down and tried to get some rest.  She would need it if tomorrow she was going to talk to Evan.

          _Why did I even tell her?_ Evan thought that night in bed.  He had drunk little at the tavern and had feared going on board ship, thinking his clothes and things would all be floating in the water.  But much to his surprise, Ana had just packed up her things and apparently moved to Willis' cabin.

          He struggled with the thought that he did it because she needed to know the truth.  Yes, he was sorry.  He saw in her eyes pain that he never wanted to see, but there was no erasing it now.  He told her now because she was right, if they did plan on getting married, was he going to keep it in forever?  No.  The blasted problem had been in the front of his mind since he had left. _Stupid conscience…_

          Why he had done it, he wasn't sure.  He couldn't remember if he could blame it on the rum or not.  But he needed to come up with the real reason why.  He was through lying to Ana, and hoped that she was going to give him another chance.  He fell asleep that night, dreaming of Ana.

          The next morning Ana rolled over, but woke up instantly.  Something was rough against her face and hard.  He opened her eyes and almost immediately got something in it.  She cursed and tried to get it out, but through her eyes opening and closing, she had noticed that it was quite bright in her cabin.  The speck fell out and she finally got a clear view of where she was.

          She stood up and looked around her, not willing to believe her eyes.  _I must be dreaming… she thought.  She pinched herself and slapped her face.  Still, it was the same image.  She smiled looking around, __this can't be…there's no reasonable explanation for this…No possible, lucid, reason for this…  "Yet, here it is before my eyes…" She said to herself.  She sighed and excepted the fact that she was on a deserted island.  _

**Okay!  Yay!  Sorry for the Cliffhanger.  I had to do it though.  And some of you were wondering if Evan was a good guy or not.  This chapter kind of reflected a naughty side to him. But I tired to make it clear that he was sorry…obviously Ana doesn't know how sorry he is…but she will.  Hopefully will begin to like him.  I'm hoping I will too.  But I can't really picture him as a "good guy".  He's kinda got the "biker guy" image- well you know what I mean….hmmm review, tell me what you think!**


	11. Here Begins

          **Omg****!  I am so sorry this took so long!  But it was a hard chapter to write…And again, I'm sorry for not getting it out sooner…and I'm not even sure if it's that good…but review and tell me what you think!**

**LAST TIME:**

She stood up and looked around her, not willing to believe her eyes.  _I must be dreaming…_ she thought.  She pinched herself and slapped her face.  Still, it was the same image.  She smiled looking around, _this can't be…there's no reasonable explanation for this…No possible, lucid, reason for this…_  "Yet, here it is before my eyes…" She said to herself.  She sighed and accepted the fact that she was on a deserted island.  

­­­­­­­­---------------------------

          Evan woke up an hour after Ana and had the same response as she did.  She was sitting on the beach, calm by now, with her knees up and her arms on top of them.  "Where are we?" He asked after he realized they were both here."

          "I dunno.  Why don't you ask your crew?"

          "What makes you think my crew did this?"  

          Ana turned and looked at him, she flung an arm out that pointed to their trunks that were in the shade of some palm trees.  He sighed, "Why would they do this?"

          She shrugged.

          "Well aren't you upset about this?" He yelled, "We're stranded on an island!"

          "Yes, Evan, I realized that!  And the fact of the matter is that there is no way were going to get off unless a blasted ship just _happens_ to come by, which is unlikely!  And even if one did, why in the world would it pick up two PIRATES?!"

          Evan paused and pointed to her, "You're still a bit upset about last night, aren't you?"

          She sighed, "Why Evan, you're smarter than I thought!" She said getting up and kicking off her boots.  This was going to be a long stay. 

          He followed her and picked up both their trunks, and said, "Well, do you have any building skills?"

          "Yea, with nails…"

          Evan sighed, "Well then I guess you'll learn, won't you?"

          "You know how to build things without nails?" Ana asked skeptically.

          "Not technically…but rope and string will do fine for whatever we may build."

          "Wait, there's going to be two separate uhm…living spaces right?"

          "Ana, we can't be too far away from each other…we don't even know what's living here!"

          "Okay, I get that, but there's going to be two separate living spaces…savvy?"

          Evan smiled and nodded.  

          "Good.  Then we'll do fine…"

          "Except for the fact that you're mad at me…" Evan said, setting their trunks down.  

          She glared at him, "Work now, talk later."

**Some Odd Hours Earlier:**

          Willis quietly shut the door to his cabin where sleeping Ana lay.  He had made sure he had waited a few hours after the captain went into his cabin to come out and meet with the other people in the crew. 

          "What's all this for?" One spoke up.

          "It's Ana and Evan.  We all want Ana to stay right?" Willis whispered.

          They all nodded.

          "Good.  But she and Evan got in a fight and if we don't do something, then she'll leave!" He reasoned.

          "So what do we do?"

          Willis looked around and then spotted a piece of land.  "We send 'em there.  Savvy?"

          All of them nodded.  So they sailed and carefully took each of them from there bed and set them on the beach.  Then got their trunks and put food and rum in each of them and then left.  Intending on coming back, because they didn't want to leave their captain.  But they were sure they he would be happy with them for doing such a thing.

          Two hours later Ana and Evan had successfully made two strange looking huts made out of things they found around on the island.  Once they had finished and had memorized how to get to their cozy homes, they went and sat on the beach.  Ana's anger had some what died down, but was still there.  She figured this was a good of time as any to talk to Evan.

          "Why did you have sex with her?" She asked suddenly, not moving her body.

          Evan turned and looked at Ana, _like a stone,he thought.  "Look, Ana, I was mad at you for bein' late and I was missin' you…"_

          "You were missing me…so you had sex with a prostitute?"

          Evan turned his head back to the sky, "Look, what do you want me to say?  Because what ever I'm going to say, you're not going to understand."

          She sat up on her elbows and said, "Evan!  I want you to say you're sorry!  I want to know that I'm still more important than some prostitute in Tortuga!  I _need to know that I'm more important than some prostitute in Tortuga."  She paused and then said, "But I can't force you to do that.  I can't force you to say sorry or to say that I'm more important…"_

          She faded and laid back down but then shot back up before Evan had a chance to respond.  "And I'm also not going to wait around 'til you make your choice.  I'm not going to spend the rest of my life wondering about you, Evan!  Savvy?"

          "Ana, you are definitely more important…" He said sitting up and scooting closer to her, he lightly touched her face and she turned her head.

          "You got a funny way of showin' it."

          "Ana!  Jeez! Here I am, confessin' my l-" He stopped, Ana's head turned sharply as she watched him, "…my feelin's for you and you go and ask for a definition for it!  Ana, you're important to me, you're the most important woman in my life, what else is there?"

          Ana stopped and thought about his question, _is there anything else?  Yes, Evan I love you, you big jerk.  And how do I get repaid for loving a pirate?  I get cheated on and marooned on an island.  Figures.  I bet Dinah never got marooned on an island…no, she just got left. Things could be worse, I guess.  At least he hasn't left me.  And even after he had sex with Giselle, he still came after me to know why I was late.  I guess there's something sentimental about that.  About as sentimental as a pirate can get. _

          "Okay, you're forgiven…just don't do it again!"

          He smiled and she cuddled up next to him and suddenly remembered the reason why she liked not fighting with him.  In his arms she felt safe and controlled.  She felt secure.

          Hours went by without them saying anything.  Ana dozed every once in a while, but never stayed asleep for long.  She finally woke up once the sun was started to set, and it reminded her of something she had always wanted to tell Evan, but never got the chance.  Now seemed like the most opportune moment, "You know what I've always wanted?"

          "Hmm?"

          "Well it's actually like a dream of mine… I once I have kids, I want to go to every single island and show them everything in the Caribbean.  I want to show them how great it is to steer a ship and most of all, I want them to experience the freedom of the Ocean."

          "And when will you be having these kids?"

          Ana looked at Evan and then shrugged, "I guess after I get hitched."

          Evan nodded and Ana thought that this would've been the perfect opportunity to talk about getting married to each other, but Evan didn't say anything else for the rest of the night.  And Ana figured that they had lots of time alone, now that she wasn't mad at him.  She sighed contently and settled back into Evan's arms, hoping to dream of the day where she would have a kid.

          "How was the trip luv?" Jack asked.  It had been about a week since they had gotten to Katherine's, James and Hannah had already left and Jack and his crew were planning on leaving the next day.  Dinah had just gone to the doctors to get a regular check up as well as check on the scar on her side.  Katherine had ordered her son to stay behind, saying that this was a girl's outing.  He just rolled his eyes, but really thought it was something a little more than a 'girls outing'.

          Dinah had somewhat look of shock on her face as she walked to her husband and he kissed her temple.  "Luv?" He asked again, after she didn't respond.

          "Huh?"

          "The doctors?  How was it?"

          "Oh!...Uh…" She paused and looked at Katherine.  She smiled, trying to encourage Dinah to tell her husband, "Well Um…Jack, sit down would you?"

          He eyed her and they walked to the living room to sit.  She sat across from him and held his hands.  "You ain't dying on me, are you?" He asked.

          She smiled and shook her head, "No…but there's going to be a bit of a change to life…" He slowly moved his hand to her abdomen.  His eyes' widened as she said, "Jack…I'm pregnant…"

          He paused, furrowed his brow and then widened his eyes again and then shot up like an arrow.  "What do you mean you're pregnant!?  And who is the bloody father?"

          She stood up, "Jackson Wyatt!  You are!"

          He looked at her, "You sure?"

          "Yes.  You jerk!  How could you think that I would cheat on you and then tell you that I'm pregnant?!"

          "I dunno…"

          She crossed her arms and sighed, "Here I am, thrilled that I'm pregnant and then terrified because I know that I'm supposed to tell you!" Dinah said tears welling up in her eyes, "I don't even know if you want a kid!"

          Jack's mood and face expressions softened as he realized how he hurt his wife.  Without a word, he took her in his arms and started to rub her back as she cried on his shoulder.  She too wrapped her arms around him, knowing that this was his way of asking for forgiveness, she accepted it by hugging him back.  

          "I do want a kid…I do." He said quietly.

          She sniffed, "You do?"

          He nodded and smiled, "We could even call him Jack Jr.…"

          Dinah pulled away and looked at him, "We're not calling him that."

          "Why not?"

          "Well Jack, if he's going to go into the family profession…Jack Jr. doesn't exactly strike fear in to the hearts of men.  And it could be a girl…you never know."

          He groaned.  "A girl?  Why would it be a girl?"

          "Jack!  We don't know, but we can't buy all male things and have it end up being a girl!"

          Something suddenly dawned on Jack, "Are you going to survive?"

          "Survive what?"

          "Child birth…are you going to…" Jack couldn't even say the words.

          Dinah paused, "Well the doctor said I had a good chance since none of the past mothers in my family have died…well at least in the past two generations."

          "A good chance?"

          She nodded.

          "Is there anyway we could increase it?"

          She sighed and looked him in the eye, "Probably not…"

          He nodded slowly, "Okay…"

          "So when we leave tomorrow, can we go to mom's house?"

          Jack grimaced.  

          "Come on!  There are lots of merchant ships that go through there…"

          His expression lightened little.  "It's your mum, luv."

          "Yes, but she's going to be a grandmother…She needs to know Jack."

          "But can't you just write her a letter?"

          Dinah smiled, "Your kinda funny…but we're going."

          She nestled her head back into his shoulder and he sighed, "Yes luv,"


	12. Dreams, Love and An Old Friend

          Ana woke up two nights later sweating from a dream she was having.  It was slightly raining outside and hearing the water up against her little hut was somewhat comforting.  She cursed those bloody pirates for leaving her on his spit of land.  She didn't want to be here!  She needed to be on the ocean!  She never had nightmares when she was out on open seas.

          She sighed and laid back down, trying to forget about her memory, rather than a nightmare.  In it she was a little girl, playing out in the front yard with Dinah and with Dinah's father.  The game they were playing was somewhat ridiculous when Ana thought about it now, but when she was a child, it made perfect since.

          It was late November and Thanksgiving had past.  Ana's parent's had grown quite ill and Beatrice had taken them off their daily jobs.  Ana had not been too frightened of their sudden illness, knowing that they were both tough and strong and that they have both over come worse things, even though Ana wasn't sure what illness they had now.

          That day Dinah had been asking all sorts of questions concerning Ana's parents.  "Aren't you scared?" 

          "Why would I be scared?" 

          "Because you're parents are ill!"

          "So?  They've been sick before and nothing's ever happened.  Why would this be different?"

          Dinah shrugged and said nothing, but even when Ana was seven and had been living with Dinah for about five years, she could tell when she was hiding something.

          "What'd yer mum tell you?"

          "She didn't tell me anything!"

          "Then what'd you over hear?"

          Dinah paused, looking into Ana's eyes, somehow trying to decide if she should tell her this or not.  "The doctor came yesterday to check on your parents…"

          "Yea?  What about it?"

          "I heard them talking about something called knee-monia."

          "Don't you mean pneumonia?" Ana asked, using the 'p' in the word.

          "No…It didn't start with a p…"

          "Well never mind what it started with!  What is it?"

          Dinah shrugged, "I'd thought you'd know."  The girls had given up trying to figure it out so they had asked Dinah's father.  He had eyed the two girls and then took Ana away to tell her the truth about her parents: that they only had about a week to live.

          At the funeral Ana was surprised to find that everyone was crying except for her.  She didn't know what was wrong with her.  But her parent's weren't really around all that much anyway.  They had their job to keep up with so Ana had complete freedom. After that day Beatrice had kept a sharp eye looking out for her and had always guarded her like she guarded her own daughter.  

          That was when the nightmares started happening.  She had dreams about her parents, dead but still working hard to please Dinah's parents, totally ignoring the fact that they had a daughter.  She had dreams about Dinah's parent's killing her parents, saying that their work wasn't good enough.  

          Ana had hated being so confided.  The only way she saw herself having any freedom at all was if she either killed herself to join her parents, or she became a pirate.  The nightmares had also grown much worse.  The one repeating dream she had had was her, ending up working for the Milton's.  The thought sickened her, so she ran away from the only home she had ever known.

          Ana had woken up when the dream ended and had tried to push the memory deeper down.  Two years ago when she and Jack had gone to Dinah's house to get her, Ana had spent many nights there, each time dreaming the repeating dream of her working for Dinah's family.

          The ear-piercing squeal from Beatrice when she heard about Dinah's pregnancy was enough to make any pirate shoot himself.  Jack rolled his eyes as tears formed in her eyes as she thought about Dinah and Jack having a child.  But what really irritated him was when she said, "Wait, you're not going to raise this child on a _pirate ship, are you?"_

          Jack sneered and Dinah held his hand, trying to keep him from saying anything.  "Mother, it's too early to decide."

          She smiled and said, "Jack, what were you thinking about raising your child?"

          He paused and said, "Beatrice, I was actually thinking about having Dinah stay here when she starts showing until she has the babe."

          Dinah smiled, "See mother, he's not-" She stopped short and the smile went off her face and she turned to face her husband, "You're thinking about doing what?"

          He half laughed, "Luv, you weren't honestly considering going on aboard looking like you swallowed a canon ball."

          "Jack!  Don't refer to me as if I'm a ship!  Why can't I go with you?"

          "Dinah…" Jack started, still smiling, "It's already been proven that you're a target for people who want to get even with me…and with a babe it'll be an even bigger risk…no.  It's not gunna happen."

          "You expect me to stay here while you're off on the open seas, and then when I do start having the baby, then what?  There's no way I'm going to be able to get a hold of you relatively quickly!  I want to be with you…"

          Jack's smile went off his face as he remembered they were arguing in front of her parents, one of them strongly suggesting that the child never set foot on the _Pearl. He looked at Dinah and shook his head, "No.  I'm sorry.  We'll work something out but I can't have you on board.  And you might be sea sick!  I don't want you to be anymore uncomfortable than you're already going to be."_

          Dinah realized his reasoning's and let it at that for the moment.  She wasn't done talking to him, but they were in front of their parents.  She nodded and turned back to her mom.  "Well I may not be on the ship during the pregnancy, but once the child gets a certain age, we'll have to take it on board.

          Beatrice gasped.  "Dinah Eileen!  I cannot believe you just said that!"

          "Mother, Jack needs to be with his child."

          "My grandchild may be killed!"

          "Jack wouldn't let that happen."

          "There's always the risk, darling."

          "With all due respect, Beatrice, I defend my ship and my wife good."

          Beatrice sighed, "Its well, Jack, WELL.  You defend your ship and wife WELL."

          Dinah turned pink, her mother had never corrected Jack so rudely before.  She had never really correct Jack on his grammar anyway.  She suddenly felt sorry for Jack and tried to get the focus off him, "Mother the point is that your grandchild and our child will be perfectly safe."

          "Nothing's perfect on a pirate ship darling." Her mother responded.

          Jack growled quietly.  Not only was this woman insulting Jack's social status, she was also insulting his ship and way of life.

          "Mother, you know what I mean.  And the child will learn to defend it's self and will also learn how to be proper.  The best of both worlds mother."

          Just when Beatrice was about to object to that comment, Dinah's father stood up and offered his hand out to Jack, whom he had grown to love.  "Jack, Dinah, I am so happy for both of you." Jack smiled, happy to be getting some positive support.  He stood up and shook the man's hand.

          "Thanks Stan…" Jack said.

          Dinah stood up and hugged her dad, "Thank you daddy."  

          They pulled apart and he said, "My little girl is growing up…Have you told your brother?"  She shook her head, "Well get down there.  He and Hannah are having a party but its fine."  She smiled and grabbed Jack's hand and left without saying good-bye to her mother.

          When they arrived at James' house she knocked on the door and Jack turned to face her, "Are you sure you want to tell them?"

          "Why wouldn't I?"

          "Don't you think he's going to react the same way your mum did?"

          She shrugged, thinking about when they were at Katherine's house when Jack was sleeping.  **_I mean I honestly didn't think you'd go this long living with Jack…after all he is a pirate._James talking in her mind was coming back to her, and then Hannah's words came to her, ****_I'm not quite used to him being a pirate and part of the family…I mean he's around our kids…_  She hoped that they wouldn't take it like her mother had taken it.  So far the only people happy for them were Dinah's father and Jack's mom.**

          The door opened and there stood Hannah.  She smiled and screamed.  "Oh my goodness!  What are you two doing here?" She said hugging them both and then drawing them inside.  But inside brought no comfort to the fears Dinah was keeping, in fact, it made them larger.  Everywhere she looked she saw people from her childhood that were now grown up and respectable, proper people.  

          The quiet music playing in the background grew louder as the people around the doorway stopped talking and looked to see Dinah, dressed in a blue dress, hair done perfectly and looking prim and proper –holding the hand of a pirate with a gun and a knife strapped to his side.  Dinah laughed nervously as she looked around the room once more, rubbing her cheek to keep the embarrassment unnoticeable. 

          Then the couple heard two squeals for pure delight and then two little bodies come breaking through the crowd of people.  It was Ben and Beth running to meet their aunt and uncle.  The both jumped into Jack's arms, which he had waiting for them and they giggled and talked about thing incomprehensible to the rest of the world.

          James followed his children and smiled when he saw his baby sister and brother-in-law. "Dinah!  What brings you here?" He asked, hugging her, and then when they broke apart he said, "We're having a little party as you can see…but still, what's the good news? It is good news right?"  He asked looking from Jack to Dinah.

          "Well who's the party for?  Surely you're not having another child," She asked, looking at Hannah.

          Hannah laughed and shook her head, "No, nothing like that…but one of our good friends has been moved up to Commodore."  Jack smiled at the memory of Norrington and wondered who this bloat was and if he was going to send Jack to the gallows.

          "Oh?  Who?" Dinah said looking over the crowd, then her eyes fell upon a man who was standing up to greet her, he had a wig and a red coat on, full of buttons and medallions.

          "Hello Dinah."

          As Ana bathed in the oasis that she had found on the island the morning, Evan sat back and watched her.  _Why did I cheat on her?  I mean I've never been this faithful to one woman ever.  And it's never given me this much trouble if I've cheated on one before.  Why is it so different with Ana?_

_          And if I was so mad and angry with her for not showing up, then why did I even go after her?  I usually don't do that!  I just had to talk to her.  She just gets to me.  I had to know if she was okay or if she just had forgotten.  Not like Ana is the kind of person to forget something that important.  After I blew up at Katherine's and she ran after me…I would've thought that she would've at least tried harder to convince Jack to turn around._

_          But Jack had other things on his mind…his wife was kidnapped after all.  His wife…_ Evan thought about what Ana had said the other day about having kids after she got hitched.  One more thing he knew about Dinah.  

          The fact that he had been with Ana long enough to know almost everything about her, including the little things, bugged him.  It bugged him that he had grown to laugh with Dinah and admire her.  It bugged him that with one look of those dark brown eyes he would do anything she wanted.  It bugged him most however, that he had fallen in love with her.


	13. Unanswered Questions

**LAST TIME:**   ***Hannah laughed and shook her head, "No, nothing like that…but one of our good friends has been moved up to Commodore."  Jack smiled at the memory of Norrington and wondered who this bloat was and if he was going to send Jack to the gallows.

          "Oh?  Who?" Dinah said looking over the crowd, then her eyes fell upon a man who was standing up to greet her, he had a wig and a red coat on, full of buttons and medallions.

          "Hello Dinah."

          *** The fact that he had been with Ana long enough to know almost everything about her, including the little things, bugged him.  It bugged him that he had grown to laugh with Dinah and admire her.  It bugged him that with one look of those dark brown eyes he would do anything she wanted.  It bugged him most however, that he had fallen in love with her.

-------------------------------------------------------------

          "Douglas?" Dinah said.  It was true.  It was Douglas standing in front of her, well, Commodore Douglas she guessed.  He looked the same, even though she hadn't seen him in two years.

          He smiled.  Jack looked from Douglas to his wife.  Douglas had a look of sheer adoration for Dinah and she had a look of shock that he'd be here.  He tried to make light of the situation as people slowly started to talk again.

          "Douggie!  How've you been?"

          Douglas' eyes slowly moved to Jack.  His face turned flat and unemotional, "Hello, Captain."

          "I would shake your hand, Doug, but me hands are full."

          "That I can see…" He said in an even tone.

          "But I guess I should be callin' you Commodore instead of Doug, huh?"

          Douglas didn't say anything.

          "Well I'll try to remember to do that."

          "It's fine Captain, if you forget.  But after all, we are old friends right?" He said moving his gaze back to Dinah.  Jack furrowed his brow.  _Old friends?  Yeah right buddy.  _

          "So Dinah, why are you here?" Douglas asked the question that had been asked three different times.

          "Oh uhm…Jack and I…well we're…"

          "She's got a canon in the hull, mate.  If you know what I mean." Jack said.

          Dinah turned and glared at Jack, wishing he hadn't used that expression.  "For bloody sake, Jack!  I'm not a stupid ship!" She said harshly.  Then she turned to James and Hannah and Douglas, "We're having a baby…I'm pregnant."

          "Ain't that what I said?" Jack questioned over the 'congrats' from the three.  She turned and glared at him and he smiled, "You're so cute when yer angry."

          She tried hard not to smile as jack leaned down to kiss her but then the two children in his arms were giggling.  The couples paused, centimeters away from each other and then back away.  Dinah shrugged and she and Jack were invited to come in and sit down to have some drinks.

          "You don't happen to have any rum, do you James?" Jack asked after putting the children down, they quickly ran to their aunt and climbed onto her lap and snuggled up against her chest.  

          James smiled, "I always keep a bottle for you."

          "Ah!  There's a good boy!" As James went to his liquor cabinet and got a rum bottle for Jack.  He walked back and handed it to him.  "Hannah, do you detest this stuff?" Jack asked her.

          "Not really, but James doesn't have a taste for it, so it doesn't bother me.  You're the only person we know that likes the stuff."

          "Ahh!  If only you could talk to Elizabeth!"

          Hannah smiled, knowing Elizabeth and what her views were on rum in the house.  "You know, I think she and Will had a child…"

          Dinah's eyes widened, "A child?  Why would've they have told us?"

          She shrugged, "Maybe she wrote it to your ship…who knows.  But I think the baby would've been born by now."

          "She was pregnant?" Jack asked.  Dinah gave him a look.

          "You know, I worry about you, I wonder if you would've been able to notice if I was pregnant if I didn't tell you."

          Jack smiled and put his arm around Dinah's chair only to find that Douglas' arm was already there.  The two men looked at each other and Douglas removed his arm. 

          Jack eyed him and asked, "So Douglas, how's it going?"

          He shrugged, "Fine I guess.  Nothing really exciting happens in Somerset."

          Jack nodded, knowing it was true, "Well we would raid, but Dinah's family lives here…" Jack said sarcastically.

          Hand-in-hand Ana and Evan walked around the island together.  Something was pressing in Ana's brain that had been bugging her since she heard about Giselle.  _Does Evan love me?_  She sighed, not knowing if she should even bring up the conversation.  _When Dinah asked Jack if he loved her he lied and said no.  But that was different circumstances.  Me and Evan are both in the same 'social circle'.  I dunno.  If I press the question on him he might not react the way I plan he would.  _

_          I need to know though.  I can't waste the rest of my life wondering if I mean anything to Evan.  I have spent too many nights with him and too many feelings on him for him to not feel the same way about me.  I need to ask him. _

          Ana stopped and Evan turned and looked at her, saw the look on her face and asked, "What's wrong, luv?"

          She sighed, trying to work up enough courage to ask him this, "Evan…we've been together for awhile now, right?"

          Evan sighed, _uh-oh.  A relationship question.  Blast.  _He nodded.

          "Well I was just thinkin'…wonderin'…where is this goin'?  You telling me 'bout Giselle has made me question you an' how you feel about me…"

          He paused, trying to organize his thoughts so they didn't come out scrambled and stupid.  _Why is she asking me this now? I know how I feel about her…but do I actually have to tell her?  "Well…Ana…I uh…yer special to me…"_

          She waited.

          "But…"

          "But?"

          "But…I want you to stay with me."

          "Okay…"    

          "Well you mean a lot to me.  I've grown kinda attached to you…"

          _Attached?_ She thought, _oh good lord…_ "Yes, but is our relationship going to grow into anything deeper than this?"

          "I think what we have now is fine…"

          Ana looked at him, she sighed heavily and said, "Forget it…never mind," and she started walking but Evan held on to her hand and wouldn't move.

          "No, Ana, you want something else, don't you?  Just tell me.  It'll be a lot easier on me than you askin' me what I want."

          She sighed, thinking if that made any since at all.  "Evan, marriage.  That's what I want this relationship to end up as…and not when I'm like thirty.  That's still six years from now.  I want it to be soon."

          Evan was a little surprised that Ana had wanted such a thing, but had been expecting this for a couple months now.  It made since that she wanted it now.  She wanted to make sure he wouldn't cheat on her again, that he wouldn't hurt her again.

          But did he want marriage?  He knew he wanted Ana and he knew that he loved her, but marriage?  That's awfully binding.  At least that's what it seemed like.  He was pretty surprised when Jack had gotten married.  Sure, Dinah was great but Captain Jack Sparrow getting married?  Settling down?

          Jack had once told Evan about how he lied to Dinah and how then he realized that marriage was the thing she truly wanted from him and not rubies and jewels.  But it was the opposite for Evan.  Ana wanted marriage and he didn't.  He just plain didn't.  But he wanted to keep Ana.  So was he willing to sacrifice Ana to just not get married?  Did he love her enough to put away his wants and desires just so she would be happy?

          **Four months later** Jack and Dinah sat in the living room of the Turner's house.  Dinah was showing a lot, her being such a thin person.  Will and Elizabeth had indeed had a child and now had a new puppy.  They had named it Jackson William Turner, after Jack and Will.  He was thrilled, "Jack Jr.!" He had said.  But Elizabeth and Will had planned just to keep it to Jackson.  

          Jack had left after he dropped Dinah and Milton off at the Turners, figuring that it was the best place to be.  He had gone to Tortuga with his crew because Gibbs had said that he knew someone that could replace Ana on the ship.  Now he was back and Gibbs was captaining the ship for a few months, at least two.  Then Jack was going to leave and be back for the ninth month of Dinah's pregnancy, making sure he would be here when the baby was born.

          One week while Jack and Dinah were left behind at the Turner's house, when Will and Elizabeth and gone to town to visit her father, the doorbell rang.  The Turner's French butler had gone to the door and they heard him say, "Sacre Bleu!" and then correct him self, and say something quietly and then said "Mai Oui."  He walked into the family room when Jack and Dinah were laying and said, "A visitor, m'lady."   Dinah looked at Jack and got up.  In walked a woman with her head down, a pushed out stomach and dark hair.

          Dinah gasped and Jack got up, neither of them sure who they saw before their eyes.  Then the woman lifted her head, her dark eyes meeting their's and she said, "Hey guys…Surprised to see me?"


	14. Being Vulnerable

**LAST TIME:  …**Dinah looked at Jack and got up.  In walked a woman with her head down, a pushed out stomach and dark hair.

Dinah gasped and Jack got up, neither of them sure who they saw before their eyes.  Then the woman lifted her head, her dark eyes meeting theirs and she said, "Hey guys…Surprised to see me?"

---------------------------

          "Ana, what are you doing here?" Ana asked, eyes widened, looking at her stomach to her face.

          "And more importantly…what's that thing on your stomach…please tell me your hording food." Jack asked, trying to make light of the situation.  Dinah reached out and pinched Jack's back side rather hard, eyes still wide and on Ana.

          She sighed, "Guys, please.  It's been a hard trip."

          The both paused as the butler walked past, carrying Ana's trunks up to the other guest room.  Ana walked past them and sat herself down on the couch and they followed.  Jack sat across from her and Dinah sat next to her, and started rubbing her stomach just as Ana did.

          "Ana, what happened?"

          She sighed again, "Guys, to be honest, I'd rather tell you when Elizabeth and Will get home, so I won't have to tell it twice.  It's hard to even think about it right now."

          Dinah nodded, "Well they should be home soon.  Do you want anything to eat while we wait?"

          "Yes!  I'm starved!  And I really want some pickles and some wine…if Will has any…"

          Dinah nodded and left to go get that and some things for herself.

          Jack leaned back and said, "That's strange.  I thought you hated wine and pickles."

          "So did I…but these past couple of months I was just wan'in some.  Elizabeth keeps wine in the house…right?"

          Jack nodded, "I'm pretty sure.  It's just the hard liquor she doesn't want."

          Ana nodded and finally relaxed.  There was an awkward moment until Jack said, "Its fine.  Dinah has been havin' weird hankerings too.  She wanted sugar on toast, which is good but really sweet…and she loads on the bloody stuff.  And she's been drinkin' orange juice.  Nothing but orange juice.  Very strange if you ask me."

          Ana shrugged.  "I've heard worse."

          "Oh yea- like Lizzy here wanted rum, but then refused to go buy some.  Then finally she broke and bought some.  But then right when the baby was born burn the stuff.  I told her if she had waited, I would've drunk it, but you know Lizzy."

          "Oh the baby's born?"  Ana asked, but before she could answer Will and Elizabeth opened the door and a blast of cold air came through the house.  Dinah greeted them as she walked into the living room with a little table.  On it had a glass of white wine, sliced pickles and a mug of orange juice.

          "Whew!  It sure is cold out there!" Will said, as their new puppy ran up to meet them.  "Down Maria…down."

          "What?" Ana asked, thinking Will was talking to her.  But Will or Elizabeth hadn't seen her yet. 

          They both looked up to see her sitting on the couch, "You're pregnant!" was the first thing to come out of Will's mouth.  Elizabeth smacked him and handed him the baby, Jack laughed and covered his eyes with his hand.

          "Just hold the baby, Will," Then walking over to Ana she said, "What's going on?"

          "She just got here, and was waitin' for you two to come home," Jack explained, "So sit down and listen up."

          "Alright!  But is it okay if I feed Jackson while you talk?" Elizabeth said, taking back the baby.

          Jack smiled and said, "Sure!"  Both Will and Dinah smacked him.  Elizabeth went to the back of the room, where Jack couldn't see her unless he turned around.

          Ana smiled slightly as her friends got comfortable and then started her story.

          "So after Evan and I left the _Pearl, we went to Tortuga.  Evan confessed that he had cheated on me with Giselle while he was waitin' for me to come.  I got mad and blew up at him, naturally!  But then that night I moved out and then woke up the next morning to find me and Evan on an island. _

          "It turns out the crew left us there because they thought we'd get our problems worked out if we were alone and didn't have to deal with raidin' and other pirates.  But towards the end of our trip there I asked him a question…"  She said, stopping to catch her breath.  Tears were forming at the corners of her eyes and she took short breaths.  Dinah reached over to hold her hand, realizing that while she was pregnant, this could seem a little more emotional than in reality.

          "I kept beatin' myself up because I wasn't sure if he felt the same way about me as I felt for him…I mean, he did sleep with a prostitute.  So I finally asked him where our relationship was leadin', and told him that I wanted to get married….Well he took awhile to answer…"

          _Uh-oh.__ Jack thought,__ you never take a long time…that just gets you into trouble._

          "He said he didn't want to get married but he still wanted me, then he asked me if I was willing just to be lovers for the rest of my life," by this time, she had tears streaming down her face which no one in the room -except for Dinah- had ever seen, "I said no because I wanted a family and a real life outside being a pirate.  Then he argued with me, saying being a pirate was all I needed and if we had a family, and then we'd have to give up being pirates.  Then I said, look at Dinah and Jack.  Their married and thinkin' on havin' kids and you don't see Jack backin' down like a coward.

          "Well the coward comment really set him off and he got mad and said that if I wanted to get married, it wouldn't be to him."  Ana sighed and the completion of her story, leaving out little bits and pieces of her trying to convince him it wouldn't be that bad.  But nobody needed to know that. 

          "Well how'd you get here?" Will asked.

          "Yea and where'd you get the baby?" Jack asked.

          Ana laughed, surprised she forgot.  She wiped away the tears, "Oh you know, I borrowed the baby for nine months…then I'll give it back to its owners…Jack, the baby is Evan's."

          "That what I was thinkin'…but I didn't want to say it and then be wrong and get smacked.

          Ana rolled her eyes, "And as to Will's question, Evan's crew picked us up after two days and then they dropped me off at my uncles in Puerto Rico which where my ship was.  So I took the _Daft Maiden_ to Barbados, thinking Dinah and Jack would be there…no such luck.  She told me though of the baby and that you were at you mothers.  So I sailed to Bermuda, but no!  Dinah's mother said that you had left after a short two-day visit.  So I figured the only other place was here.  So I sailed here."

          "And that took you four months?"

          "Look mate- not every ship is as fast as the _Pearl, savvy?"_

          Jack nodded, noticing the bite in her comment.  Obviously hunger wasn't the only thing that was unbalancing Ana's mood and lifestyle.

          She sighed, "Will, Elizabeth, can I please stay with you?"

          "Oh you know you're always welcome here, Ana.  I'll have Dinah's midwife take a look at you tomorrow."

          "Dinah's midwife?"

          "Well she was originally mine, but I stopped by her house and told her about Dinah and she'll be here once Jack leaves until the baby is born."

          "Oh…Jack is leaving?"

          He nodded, "Yep, the ships calls to me mate, and I'll be leaving during her eighth month…"

          "When is it?"

          Jack looked to Dinah and Dinah said, "Uhm…It's December 12th…and I'm about four months along…That's April.  So sometime in May the baby is due…"

          "Great!  Then I can't be too far behind you.  I think it's either May or June for me…" Ana said, smiling, thinking about having a baby instead of the man who left her."

          "Do you have any names picked out?" Elizabeth asked, burping her baby, standing up and walking around.

          Ana shook her head, "No.  Not really.  But I've been thinkin' 'bout naming the kid after either of me parents."

          "Oh, that's nice.  What were their names?" Will asked, leaning forward on his knees.

          Ana was getting a bit uncomfortable, talking about her baby and being the center of attention.  She would answer this question and then leave. "Well my papa's name was Robert and my mum's name was Roslyn."

          "Roslyn is pretty." Elizabeth commented. 

          "Well, I'm afraid this babe is makin' me hit the sack pretty early lately…"      

          "Oh, I'll show you your room…" Dinah said getting up.    The two walked up the stairs and turned into Ana's room.  Dinah immediately enveloped Ana in a hug once she shut the door; Ana accepted the hug and wrapped her arms around her friend also.  Their tummies pressed against each other as Dinah and Ana held on to each other tighter.  Dinah felt Ana's whole body shiver and then feel her friend cry.  She couldn't remember the last time Ana had ever cried, except when Dinah was getting married.  

          She stroked Ana's hair and tried to get her to calm down.  No explanation was needed since she had basically told everyone everything.  She only wished she could get a hold of Evan. _Jack… Dinah thought.  She panicked, thinking he was already setting up a plan to kill him or drag him to Port Royal.  _

          Before Dinah left the room from helping Ana get into bed Ana said, "I just feel so vulnerable, you know?  I love Evan to be quite honest…I still do.  No matter what he's done to me…I love him."

          Dinah went down stairs and found Will and Jack sitting in the living room and talking quietly.  They stopped when they heard Dinah coming down the stairs.  She sat next to Jack and he put his arm around her shoulders.  "Elizabeth is putting the baby to sleep." Will explained. 

          Dinah nodded, "Will, are you sure that it's okay if Ana stays?"

          "Yea, it's fine.  Elizabeth likes having a lot of people around.  That's one of the reason she wanted kids.  This house just seems do empty."

          "Okay, well we're going to have to be careful…Ana's not feeling the most stable that she's felt.  And with the baby and her hormones all mixed up…it's going to be like walking on the water with her."

          Jack groaned, "Great.  Another dose of 'pregnant hormones' in the house.  Just what we need."

          Dinah glared at her husband, "Why Jack!  I'm so happy that you're enthusiastic about it!  Because with Will at work…you'll be the only man besides the butler in the house to deal with those hormones."

          Jack smiled yet groaned through his teeth.  

          "But you can take it; I mean you are, after all, Captain Jack Sparrow- right?"

          As Ana lay in bed that night she thought about everything that had happened.  She started rubbing her stomach, knowing that there was something real and a live in her.  Something that Ana had wanted for a long time, but now that she finally had it, didn't want it alone.  

          When she was a kid she never really planned on being a pirate.  Yes, she broke the rules, but she was still in good society.  But when her parents died that was the only option, so she thought.  She wanted a family, husband, and kids.  In a way Evan was right about pirates and family not mixing.  For a while you have to give up pirating.  But once the babe is old enough, it can surely come onto the ship, right?"

          **_Please Evan,_**_ had echoed in Ana's ears since she had left him.  It was probably the hardest thing she had to do, leaving him.  She loved him.  And in a small way, she thought that he loved her too.  __I guess that I was wrong. She thought now.  She cursed herself for pleading with Evan.  She hated people who begged unless for a good reason, like for your life.  But other wise, it wasn't attractive and it was very annoying.  _

          But she had pleaded, and begged for him to reconsider, reasoning that if he wanted to be with her, then he'd do this for her.  But no such luck.  Now she felt hurt and vulnerable.  Like if he was to show up then she'd break like a twig.  Her soul felt broken and dry.  She had been a crying mess for weeks and wished there was some way to heal the hurt that Evan had inflicted on her, but she thought of nothing.

          She knew that coming here with friends would help, but seeing her friends with their 'significant other' wasn't going to be pleasant.  But Dinah knew exactly how she was feeling and so did Will.  They had both been some what rejected by the person they loved the most.  So if they were with them now, maybe there was hope for Ana.

**Author's Note**: Back then modern Medicine didn't know that Liquor could harm the baby.  So that's why when Ana asks for wine, Dinah gives it to her without a fight.


	15. Author's Note: Important

Hey Everyone!

          Well due to suggestion and my own feelings…I'm going to put my story on pause.  My plan for the plot was going to be like mostly Ana and Evan, but then I also wanted to get Jack and Dinah in there because what would a POTC fic be without Jack?  But after Dinah got rescued from being kidnapped…I was kinda wanting to focus on Ana and Evan, thinking that she was going to be left with a baby and no one else.  And with "Again" I went on mostly feelings between Jack and Dinah…but I'm not sure what to do to make the plot more…plot-ish. So if you have any suggestions to add to my own…then go ahead and Review me. I'll prolly start up again on Monday.  

-Rebel Lady


	16. The Twist

**A/N: After much thinking and planning, I have decided that my plan to focus attention on Evan and Ana's feelings was just fine.  But I need things to make the story more interesting.  So please Read and Review while you read my story about Selfish Relations…**

          "Well why not?"

          "Because it's ridiculous!  You're not doing that."

          "I need to."

          "Why?"

          "Because he knocked up Ana and then left her!" Jack yelled pointing his arm towards the room next to his and Dinah's.  They were getting ready for bed and Jack had purposed leaving to go find Evan and 'talk to him'.

          "Jack, I want to smack him as much as anyone, but we can't do that...you can't do that."

          "Why not?"

          Dinah rolled her eyes, pulling one of Jack's shirts over her head as he took off his red shirt and his affects. "Because _darling… Ana doesn't want us in her personal life.  You know that."_

          "Who said we had to tell her?"

          "Were you honestly expecting to leave the house, two woman carrying child and not tell either of us where you were going?"

          "I was of course going to tell you, luv…" He said walking towards her and hugging her.  She rolled her eyes again and didn't hug him back but said, "Jackson Sparrow I certainly hope so.  Then I could tell you no.  Why would you leave me here?  We already agreed your schedule.  And the _Pearl isn't coming back for some time, buddy."_

          He drew apart and said, "Why do you have to be so technical?"

          She smiled, "I don't know how you got along without me."

          "I dunno how I ever got along without her…" Evan mumbled.  It had been months since Ana had left.  Evan had drunk so much in his whole life.  _Love is horrible… He thought to himself as he threw up over the side of his ship.  He blamed this whole situation on his crew._

          They left the two on the island which caused them to make up which caused Ana to ask about the future.  Evan wasn't really quite sure which one he wanted, a gone Ana or a mad Ana.  _As long as she would be here… Evan thought.  Of course if they hadn't even fallen in love in the first place then he wouldn't be in this situation right now._

          He was fine without Ana.  He had done just fine.  He had raided plenty of ships, gotten his hands on plenty of gold and had gotten out of plenty of nooses without her.  He had fun drinking and having fun with pleasurable company in Tortuga without worrying about Ana.  He had done just fine without her in his life.

          But now that he had lived with her for two years, he had found out how much fun he had had.  Now he didn't have to travel hundreds of miles to get pleasurable company.  The one person who really made him smile and laugh, and made him feel good about himself- was on his ship.  Now he had a second opinion and experience on the ship to think about raiding a certain ship or not.  Now he actually knew what to buy with the gold he got his hands on.  And now he had someone to come home to when he got himself out of a noose, or someone to help him get out of that noose.

          Well, he did have.  Now the person, who basically completed him, he let get away.  He wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he knew that he had made the right decision.  _But if it was the right choice, then why am I alone?_

          Two weeks later Ana, Dinah and Elizabeth had gone shopping and had bought Ana all kinds of clothes.  It took them practically a week to find just the right clothes for Ana, since she was so picky about not portraying anything more than a pirate.  

          They had just gotten home from another shopping spree but only had two bags in their hands.  Jack stood up, being the only one home, and handed Elizabeth her baby, kissed his wife and asked, "That's it?"

          Ana nodded, "These two just don't give up."

          "Ana, in two weeks we've only found a grand total of three new outfits!"

          "Dinah, this is enough!  I'm only going to wear these outfits once in my life!"

          "How do you know?" Elizabeth asked.

          "You think I'm gunna voluntarily have another one of these?  I'm ain't even five months and it's a bloody nuisance!  My neck and back hurt every time I wake up, some days I have to go to the bathroom almost every five minutes and I have weird cravings for things I usually don't even like!  AND!  On top of all that, I feel fat…" she pouted.

          Jack laughed and Ana glared at him.  He shrugged, "You seem tired…you're not fat darlin'.  You just have another life in you."

          "Yea, you try carryin' around another life and then we'll talk," she snapped back.  He just smiled, knowing that it was just the pregnancy.  She inched her way up the stairs with her bags and then shut the door to her room behind her.

          Elizabeth smiled and shook her head, "You shouldn't do that Jack,"

          "Do what?"

          "Make her mad like that."

          "I don't mean to, but you know how temperamental she is these days…" He answered.  Jackson started crying and Elizabeth excused herself.  But before she could get far two voices coming in the front door caused her to stop and look.

          Will was in the door shaking off his coat, his eyes already on Elizabeth.  He took off his coat and gave it to his butler, and then went and greeted Elizabeth.  She came down the stairs to meet him, wondering why the other man was here.  She handed over the crying Jackson and he stopped crying, they kissed and then Will said, "Elizabeth, the Commodore needs to talk to us."

          Norrington was in the entry way waiting for Will to say something, and when he did, he walked up to Elizabeth, kissed the top of her hand and said, "Nice to see you Elizabeth."

          "As you, Commodore, but why the visit?"

          "Shall we sit down?" He suggested.  Will nodded and lead them into the living room where Dinah and Jack were sitting, both rubbing her stomach.  Once Jack saw Norrington, he shot up and put his hand on his sword.  "Why Jack Sparrow…you're on Port Royal…once again unnoticed by my men…how's your leg?"

          Jack sneered, "Fine, recovered…how's your cat?"

          "Fine…But once again…how long have you been here?" Norrington asked, looking from Will to Jack, "Suppose I call me men and have you hung?"

          "Yuh know, I've been thinkin'- I think you have a soft spot for me…"

          "Why would you say that?"

          "Because you've had plenty of times to hang me, catch me and you never do…why is that?"

          Norrington didn't answer but pulled out his gun.  Elizabeth gasped and looked at Dinah, who had a shocked look on her face.  Thinking quickly, before there would be a full blown attack in her living room, she said, "Oh! Commodore- I'd like you to meet Jack's wife…Dinah."

          Dinah looked up and Norrington paused.  She smiled and Jack offered her his hand.  She took it and stood up, Norrington noticing her stomach.  "Wife?" He questioned.

          "Hard to believe huh?" Dinah asked.  

          He looked at her hard and then said, "You were on the ship with Jack…are you a…"

          She shook her head, "No.  I'm just married to one."

          He smiled and took her hand and kissed the top, "Commodore Robert Norrington…And might I add Mrs. Sparrow, you're lucky I'm not going to throw both of you in the brig."

          Jack smirked, thinking how great it was to finally have someone with him that can get him out of jail instead of into jail.  They all sat down and Will asked, "So what's the news that was so unexpected?"

          Norrington got serious and said, "Do any of you know a ship called _The Challenger_?"

          "Yes,"

          "No."  The two couples looked at each other and then looked at Norrington.  He looked a bit confused.

          "So wait- Jack and Dinah- you know the ship?" they nodded.  "How?"

          "The person who drove my crew to mutiny…captains it."

          Norrington raised his eyebrows, "Interesting…"

          "Why do you want to know about Captain Miller?" Dinah asked.

          "Well Captain Miller is in a bit of trouble…" he paused, "What's that sound?"

          They all stopped and listened, and then faintly they heard something oinking. "Oh, that's my pig…he's sleep dreaming." Dinah explained.  Norrington shook his head and went on.

          "Like I was saying…Captain Miller is in a bit of trouble."

          "What kind of trouble?" Elizabeth asked.

          "He and his crew are in my brig right now."

          "I gotta tell Ana…" Dinah said getting up, but before she got far Norrington grabbed on to her arm, his grip tightening. 

          "Who?"

          Jack stood up and crossed the room to his wife.  He put his hand on Norrington's and his grip on Dinah's arm loosened.  "Don't be touchin' me wife, savvy?"

          Norrington released himself and Jack put an arm around his wife. 

          "Mr. Sparrow, who is your wife going to see?"

          No one answered.  He turned to Elizabeth and she broke quickly under his glare.  "Ana Maria."

          Norrington turned to Will, "Just how many pirates are you hording in this house?"

          "There's something about Ana that you don't know, Commodore…" Will started. 

          "There seems to be many things that I don't know about…Jack getting married, and now his wife with child?  What is it with this woman pirate?  And I'm not promising any of you that I won't brand her."

          Dinah felt Jack's muscles tighten form what the Commodore said.  But they couldn't be able to do anything if he did do that.  They were lucky that he wasn't hanging Jack and imprisoning Dinah.  Norrington went up the stairs and the rest followed him.  Dinah got infront of him before he could knock on the door.

          "She could be sleeping…"

          "Please open the door, Mrs. Sparrow."

          Dinah sighed and she knocked lightly on the door before turning the nob and opening the door.  Norrington drew his sword and held it out to Ana, whose back was to them.  She said groggily, "What in the bloody 'ell do you want?"

          "Uh Ana…roll over on your back would you, dear?" Elizabeth asked, looking from the waiting Norrington to Ana.

          "Liz, if that was it, couldn't you wait until I was done with me nap?"  She asked as she rolled over.  Norrington almost dropped his sword when he saw the little hump on Ana's stomach.  If he was mistaken, then she was also pregnant.  

          Ana groaned when she saw Norrington and said, "What now?  You gunna hang me now or wait until I have the babe?"

          "Ana, try to keep the humor to a minimum…the Commodore is being quite…generous." Will said.

          Ana glanced at Jack and Dinah also standing in the room and remembered the story Jack told about raiding Norrington's fleet.  He must've seen Dinah there too.  A respectable woman with a pirate and on a pirate ship?  That could get her at least thirty days or worse.  She looked at Norrington, "Yes?"

          "You know Captain Evan Miller?" 

          Ana froze, trying hard not to show any emotion in front of everyone, but finding it hard.  She sat up on her elbows, "Yes, I know him…"

          "I thought you might like to know that he and his crew are in my brig…"

          "He's what?" Ana asked, not believing that Evan would ever be caught so close to land and be caught by Commodore Norrington.  Wouldn't he have been more careful?  What was wrong with him?

          "He and his crew are in my custody…I was hoping you could help me."

          "Help you with what?"

          "Have you heard of _The Flyer_?" 


	17. What Child Is This?

**LAST TIME: **

"He and his crew are in my custody…I was hoping you could help me."

          "Help you with what?"

          "Have you heard of _The Flyer_?" 

---------------------------------------------------

          Ana paused, the name sounded familiar, but from where, she wasn't quite sure.  "I can't remember, tell me 'bout it and it might help my memory."

          Norrington shook his head, "No…You don't understand…the ship is no longer in existence…"

          "Well then how do you know 'bout it?"

          "Ana, as far as we know, Evan is responsible…"

          Ana waited and sat up, "Responsible for what?"

          "A week ago we found _The Flyer, _barely intact and its crew brutally murdered."

          Ana swallowed hard, "How so?"

          Norrington sighed, obviously reluctant to what he was about to explain. "The crew, skinned, insides ripped out, decapitated, were floating on top of the water…and a single pirate flag floating on top."

          Ana narrowed her eyes, she knew what he was getting at.  They were blaming Evan and his crew for the murders of those men.  "That was a merchant ship, wasn't it?"

          Norrington nodded.  

          Dinah, somewhat feeling sick to her stomach from the description, asked, "But if they were dead, then why were they floating?"

          Norrington turned to answer, but Jack answered first, numbly he said, "Putrification."

          "What's that?" Elizabeth asked, now holding a sleeping Jackson.

          "Dead men can only float on the water in certain conditions…mainly warm water cause them to float.  The temperature causes the body to grow moss and algae in a sort…"

          "You mean it pretty much starts decomposing?" Dinah asked, totally grossed out.  

          Jack nodded his head.  Pretty much numb to this situation.  Who would do such a thing?  I mean, pirates did have some sort of respect.  But why kill a ship full of merchants and leave them in the water no less?  Merchants weren't mean, spiteful people.  They wouldn't start shooting guns carelessly when raided; they'd stand aside and make sure they weren't killed.  

          "So why do you think that Evan did it?" Ana asked, trying to get the mental picture of the crew out of her head.

          "Because when we sailed around looking for pirates ships, his was near 50 kilometers of the wreck and his flag gone."

          "But that doesn't mean anything…I mean it can't mean anything.  Evan wouldn't do that…"

          Norrington raised an eyebrow, "You know him on a personal basis?"

          Ana paused, stopping herself and putting up a wall, "Evan's a pirate and pirates wouldn't do that…That's all I know of him."

          "Uh-huh." Norrington responded.  He straightened and said before exiting the room, "Merry Christmas to you all."

          "Christmas…That's right.  Lizzy, aren't you havin' some sort of get together tomorrow night?" Jack asked that night at dinner.  It was the eve of Christmas Eve and the news that the Commodore had brought wasn't settling with Ana.  Knowing that Evan was only a horse ride away made her nervous. 

          Elizabeth nodded, "Yes…um Ana, do you want to be here…or be up in your room or anywhere else?" She asked, trying to be discrete about asking if she wanted to see Evan.

          "You know parties much fun for me…I've haven't been to a party in over ten years." She said staring at her food while she picked at it with her fork.

          "Okay…Jack? Dinah?  Are you two going to stay?"

          "Uhm…I think I have a dress that still fits me," Dinah chuckled, "The best thing about being pregnant is no corsets!"

          Elizabeth smiled and made eye contact with Jack, "You?"

          "Are you kiddin' me?  I love parties!  Drinks all around!"

          "Jack, there isn't going to be any rum…" Elizabeth said harshly. 

          Jack looked slyly at Will who winked at him.  Jack looked back at Elizabeth, "What ever you say, Lizze, Luv."

          She narrowed her eyes and pointed to her husband, "Don't you two even think about it!  I'm not serving rum in this house!"

          "Who said anything about serving it?" Jack asked.

          "I don't want Will drinking it!  And if he does, then he won't be allowed in our bed for two nights!" She said, making sure she made a threat she could carry out but knew she wouldn't have to.

          Will's eyes bulged and he looked at Jack.  He was pouting, _of course she threatens the bed.  Why couldn't she threaten her first born or something? Jack thought._

          "So is that a no on the party Jack?"

          "No, I'll go."  Dinah looked at her husband in surprise and tensed almost immediately.  

          "You'll have to wear something of Will's…and no weapons, darling…"

          "What?  Why?"

          As the two argued over what Jack was going to wear, cover and say Ana started to feel queasy.  Thinking about Evan and what he was accused of doing was intolerable.  And then these fools were fighting over a Christmas Party.  Ana wasn't quite sure why Jack had any wanting to go.  But it was possibly for being with his wife and showing her off…or something along those lines.  

          She quickly excused herself and a maid who was near by helped Ana up the stairs to her room.  She thanked the woman and asked for some hot tea.  The woman nodded and quickly went down stairs.  Ana didn't know why so many people had servants when they had two legs themselves, but now, when she was pregnant and not feeling too particularly good, the servant came in hand.

          _Imagine me, killing a ship full of innocent merchants sailors.  My reputation isn't that horrible is it?  That a commodore would blame me for doing such a thing?  Sure, I'm not as…successful as Jack, but wouldn't he have at least heard of me?  And now I've gotten my whole crew branded.  If this won't cause a mutiny, I don't know what will._  Evan sat in a jail cell with five other men of his crew thinking about what had happened in the past two days.  He had been captured.  And branded.  He had always prided himself for never being caught, or if he were, never for very long to get branded.  But now he had, and his whole crew too.  

          _You just don't kill a ship full of merchants…especially like that.  And why in the bloody 'ell would you leave your flag?  The whole thing just doesn't make sense.  And of course it was quite…convenient that our flag had been ripped off by the blasted winds three days earlier. Is it really my fault that we left our flag up while in a blasted storm?_

Evan paused when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He stood up while the rest of his crew just stayed where they were.  Commodore Norrington came into view and Evan put his arms through the bars lazily.  "We free?" He said sarcastically.

          "If you're lucky you might have a visitor tomorrow…"

          "If I'm lucky?" He asked skeptically.

          "Yes, I would behave myself if I were you Miller."

          Evan frowned and the Commodore left.  _Visitors?  Who here would come and visit me?_

            Ana knocked lightly on Will and Elizabeth's door the next morning.  Will opened it, fully awake, for what seemed to be for a while.  With the door open Ana looked in and saw Elizabeth sleeping with her baby.  Ana's face softened and realized that would be her sooner or later.

           "Yes?" He whispered.

          "Can we talk?"

          "Sure…" He said sighing and stepping fully out of his room and following Ana down stairs.  She was wearing her familiar green pants and white shirt.  The shirt still covering her stomach, but in two months, wouldn't be able to.  They sat on the couch and she pushed some hair out of her face.  She sighed and said, "I need a favor."

          "Yes?"

          "I want to see Evan…and I would ask Jack to come with me, but he's a pirate and wouldn't dress up to look different if he didn't want to…I don't want to get him sent to the gallows."

          "I understand…So you want me to come with you?"

          Ana nodded.

          "That's fine.  I would've suggested such a thing if you brought up the subject anyway.  But what about you?"

          "What 'bout me?"

          "Are you going to…dress up?"

          Ana hadn't really thought about it.  She knew that it would be a safe idea if Jack would so he wouldn't be recognized, though she wasn't sure what would have to happen for him not to be recognized.  He had such a look that anyone who saw him knew it was him.  But her- she wasn't so recognizable.  She wasn't that 'famous' in Port Royal.  But she had never been branded and she rather liked to keep it that way. 

          She pictured herself in one of Elizabeth's dresses.  She hadn't worn one since she was an adolescent.  But would she do that just to keep herself and her baby safe?  "Yea…I guess I should, shouldn't I?"

          Will nodded.

          She sighed and agreed.  They heard a door open and the close and saw Jack and Dinah, holding hands and coming down the stairs.

          "Why Lad, isn't there supposed to be breakfast cookin' this late?  My stomach is growling."

          Will smiled at the fact that Jack still called him 'lad' even though he was twenty four.  But he guessed that compared to Jack Will was still a lad. And Will liked to think that it was more a term of endearment than anything.

          "Aye, I'll get to it, Jack."

          Late that afternoon, about two hours before Will and Elizabeth's party, Will and Ana left to go to see Evan.  Elizabeth and Dinah had been through both their wardrobes to find a dress to fit Ana.  She wanted something that wasn't pink, big-skirted, and frilly or had bows.  The two finally decided on a light blue dress of Elizabeth's that fit Ana perfectly, even with her stomach which seemed to show just the same.  

          They washed, curled and did Ana's hair much to her whining and complaining and cursing.  They put heels, make up, gloves and a hat on her.  When she slowly (for fear of falling) walked down the stairs to where Will and Jack were waiting, she looked completely different.  Jack and Will stood up and their mouths dropped at how different she looked.  Yes, Ana was beautiful without everything Dinah and Elizabeth had done, but she was now more beautiful than ever.

          "Are you sure Evan's going to recognize you?" Jack asked, after getting over his initial shock.

          "That blasted pirate better.  He doesn't know how much bloody trouble I went for him…and he better be thankful or I'll shove this dress up his nose."  The four laughed, realizing that under all the curls, make up and silk, Ana Maria was still Ana Maria.

          As Ana, with her arm entwined with Will's, walked down the streets to where Evan would be, she felt herself being stared at.  A few men whistled but most of them were gentlemen and kept their comments to themselves.  Everyone who knew Will Tuner knew he had a wife, and they knew that the woman he was with now wasn't Elizabeth.  Now she wished she would've taken the carriage.  But Elizabeth and Will had suggested they walk, knowing that it wasn't that far and also knowing that she needed to get used to the heels.

          _I feel ridiculous._ She thought trying to hide her eyes with the hat that she had on.  She was doing a nice job and figured she could do this while she talked to Evan if she started to cry or something.  "Will?"

          "Hmm?"

          "Can we take the carriage home?" 

          Will smiled, "Certainly."  They finally reached the jailhouse and Will opened the door for Ana.  Her hands started shaking once they had nothing to hold on to and she clenched them to make the stop.  Will came in and saw the Commodore.

          "Hello Commodore.  We're here to visit Captain Miller."

          Norrington nodded and said, "Who do you have with you?  Distant cousin?"

          He held out his hand as Ana lifted her head to make eye contact with Norrington.  His eyes widened and he said, "Ana Maria?"

          She smiled, "'Ello Commodore."

          He rolled his eyes and looked at Will.  Will shrugged and smiled.  "Is it alright to go down?"

          Norrington nodded and led the way.

          Evan awoke when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.  Except it was more than just the Commodore.  It sounded like two others.  One of them was a woman, she was walking lightly.  _What woman here would know me or my crew? He thought.  He never opened his eyes just kept his back against the wall and he head back.  _

          He heard the guards straighten up when the Commodore came down and then he said, "Miller, you have a visitor."

          Evan didn't move.

          "Captain, I suggest you put on your best behavior for this lovely lady."  Then he heard two people go back up the stairs.  _They left a woman down here with a bunch of pirates? Oh yea, the redcoats. _

"I suggest you leave luv.  There's no reason for you to be here." Evan said without getting up and looking.  Willis hit him on the leg.  He opened his eyes, "What?"

          "This woman you better take a gander at…"

          Evan stood up and faced the woman in front of him.  She had dark skin, a pushed out stomach, gloves, a beautiful dress and a hat covering her eyes.  Her hair was in ringlets and she had a few dark strains coming down and making contact with her shoulders.  Her face was smooth and clean and had a hint of color to it, but beyond that Evan couldn't recognize the woman.

          "I won't bite luv…" He said coming closer and grabbing on to the bars in front of him.

          "I have good authority, Captain, that you've done some mighty untellable things," She said with an even tone, never lifting her head.

          Evan was taken aback by the statement.  Whoever this was knew what he was being charged with.  "Well the good authority is wrong.  Though I'm not sure why it would concern someone of your sort."

          The woman smiled and Evan thought it seemed familiar.  "When is your appointment with the gallows, Captain?"

          "Next week I figure.  Could you please give me a name?" He asked finally, getting fed up with all these questions by an unknown person.  

          The whole crew seemed to hold it's breath as the woman slowly untied the hat from behind and then lifted her head.  Her eyes met with Evan's and he wasn't sure it was the person he thought it was.  "Ana Maria." He breathed out.

          "You clean up pretty good!" Willis said smiling.  She smiled back and blushed.  She looked back at Evan.

          "What are you doin' here?" He asked.

          "Well I'm not here t'break you out…if that's what yer wonderin'."

          He shook his head.

          "Have you put on weight, Ana?" Willis asked, he was looking at her stomach.  One of the guards turned and looked at him.  She looked at the guard to show that the question was okay.

          "No Willis, I'm pregnant."

          Evan's eyes widened.  "What?"

          She snapped her head to look at him, "Somethin' wrong?"

          "Yea!  You get mad at me because I spent one night with a woman and then you and go and get yerself pregnant?  What part of that am I supposed to be okay with?"

          "Evan, the part when you said that you didn't want a family!  So why should it bother you that I am making one?"

          Evan almost blurted out that he loved her, but then remembered where he was.  He wasn't quite sure he wanted this to be the place to be the woman he loved that he loved her.  Of course he wasn't sure that he'd ever see Ana again.  

          "Because I don't you to be making one at all.  I wanted you to stay with me and now yer pregnant with another lover.  Was this all you wanted to tell me?  That you found someone new?"

          A lump formed in Ana's throat from hearing the sweet words from Evan, the man that she still loved with all her heart.

          "Just whose baby do you think this is?"

          He shrugged, "The man you came here with?"

          "Yea, except if you had yer eyes open you would've seen that it was Will Turner, who might I remind you has a wife and child."

          "Well whose is it?  Obviously no one I know."

          "It's actually someone you know very well Evan!" She said, tears threatening to come down her cheeks.  She looked at a guard and whispered something to him.  He nodded and left.  She looked back at Evan.  Even in the dimly let room he saw her eyes glistening with tears.  This was probably the first time he had ever seen that happen.  He heard footsteps come down the stairs, the guard took his place and Will came up next to Ana.  She grabbed her hat, but before leaving said, "The father of my baby is you."  With that Will helped her up the stairs, leaving Evan in complete shock.


	18. Christmas Decisions

          That night while the party was going on at the Turners, Ana quickly changed and snuck out of the house.  She walked to the harbor where her ship was and started walking along the beach.  So many things had happened that Ana didn't really need a party full of elegant people to make things worse.  She wasn't quite sure how Jack was dealing with it.  After all he was a pirate, but he was also married to a nobleman's daughter.

          Ana got lost her thoughts too easily.  She started thinking about her dream that she had told Evan that night on the beach, _I probably was pregnant then…how ironic._ She thought.  She had never actually considered that Evan wouldn't want to have a baby, or have a family, but she guessed his point of view was understandable.  You become a pirate to have freedom, not to fall in love and have kids.  

          Ana wasn't really sure why she had become a pirate in the first place.  _Well to get away from something that I feared would happen. But in her heart, she was still a little girl in a dress thinking up ways to make Beatrice upset and to have a good time.  Today when she was in a dress it felt strange.  It felt natural almost._

          She took a deep breath, remembering that one of the reasons she became a pirate was because of the ocean.  She loved the ocean.  It was just a mystery to her.  Being on a ship gave her the freedom on the thing she loved most.  But why a pirate?  Why not a merchant?  Because she wanted to be her own boss.  She wanted to sail where she pleased.  Yes, she was under Jack's authority for a long time, but that was because she had grown to respect Jack and cherish his friendship.  

          She sighed when she thought about what had happened when she got home from the jail that afternoon.

          "How'd it go?" Jack asked immediately.  He, Dinah and Elizabeth were all waiting for her when she and Will reached home.  Jack got up and helped her to the couch.  

          She shrugged, "It was okay…but you were right.  He didn't recognize me."  But she didn't go into much detail due to her looking around and observing her surroundings.  The house was full of candles, wreaths, greens, bells and bows.  They had gotten a tree, decorated it and set it up right in front of the front window.  The house looked beautiful.  

          Entwined with the staircases were green garlands with red bows.  The piano was set up in the back ground with wine on it and glasses and Christmas music ready to be played.  The candles were all around the house, smelling the place up and making it seem like Christmas.  

          "Well what else?" Dinah prodded.  Ana snapped her head back to the friends around her.

          "Oh, right…I told him who the babe belonged to…he said he was to be hanged sometime next week and that he's not guilty."

          "He's not?" 

          "You didn't really think that Evan could do that…did you?"

          "How could you not?" Jack asked, answering for his wife.

          "Evan doesn't do that Jack- you should know that!"

          "How would I know that?  I've never been around the guy long enough to know that."

          "He was part of yer bloody crew!"

          Jack paused, "You believe 'im, don't you?"

          "There's nothing actually proving that he did it.  Sure, he was missin' his flag, but pirate ships loose their flags all the time.  That, or it's on up because it got ripped or something."

          The room was silent, she was right.  "So what are you sayin'?" He asked.

          "Jack…I think you know what I'm askin'."

          He eyed her carefully, "The _Pearl__'s gone lass.  There's nothin' I can do."_

          "Jack, he's going to be hung next week!" She said with desperation in every word.  She needed his help now more than ever.  

          "Ana, are you even sure the Commodore would let up on his punishment?  Maybe the other reason he's hanging him is simply because he's a pirate." Elizabeth said.

          Well then we've got to help him escape!"

          "Ana, why are you willing to do this for a man you practically rejected you?" Will asked.

          She paused, not really knowing how to answer that.  It had never really entered her brain that she was still willing to do this for a man who broke her heart more than once.  She looked at Will and slowly said, "I'm goin' for a walk."

          Ana came back to the house when everyone was gone.  She walked through the front door but stopped short when she saw Jack and Dinah swaying, almost dancing in the dimly lit room.  Ana wasn't sure she had ever seen Jack dance, or do anything close to dancing.  But it didn't surprise her that for Dinah, you could find Jack doing anything.

          She walked across the house quietly up to her room to find something she wasn't expecting at all.  She screamed.  Elizabeth, Will, Jack and Dinah quickly came to Ana's room and she pointed to the thing and said to Dinah, "Wasn't Milton supposed to be a male?"

          Dinah's eyes widened as she saw Milton in front of her with ten little piglets nursing.  Elizabeth looked at her with an open mouth, "Dinah, I have come to love that pig- but ten MORE little ones?"

          Dinah made a face and looked at Jack, "Don't look at me luv, ten piglets have no place on me ship."

          "Well Jaaaaaack…what am I supposed to do?" She whined, "Look how cute they are!"

          His face told her that no whining would help this subject.  

          "Well then can you at least take them to your mothers?"

          "Luv, that's totally off course!  I was plannin' on going the totally opposite way!"

          "Jack, we can't have these things in our house!" Will said gesturing towards the animals.

          "People!" Ana said loudly, "I have me ship, I can take the pigs to Barbados."

          "Really?" Dinah cooed.

          "No way.  Not in your condition." Jack said.

          "What?  What condition?" Ana questioned.  He pointed to her stomach and she rolled her eyes, "Come off it Jack, I can still bend over without tipping over.  It's not that bad.  I'll be back in two weeks tops."

          He eyed her and then eyed the pigs, "Fine."

          "Thank you so much Ana.  Katherine's the only person I know who won't sell them to a slaughter house."

          "No problem, mate.  So do you want me to take all of them?"

          "No…Milton…uh…Millie should keep one of her kids…and we have to wait 'til their weaned."

          "How did Milt-Millie, get pregnant in the first place?" Elizabeth asked.

          Dinah looked at Jack and they shrugged, "Possibly a boar at Katherine's house."

          "One more thing Ana-" Jack said, "Yer not goin' alone."

          "What?  Why?"

          "Because someone has to take care of you…what if something happens?" Dinah said, backing up her husband.

          "Well then who'll go?" Ana asked, crossing her arms.  

          "I'll go!" Dinah said smiling.  Ana smirked and looked at Jack.  His hand was covering his closed eyes.  

          He sighed heavily, "Dinah, luv, you can't go."

          "Why not?"

          "Two pregnant women all alone on the Caribbean?  I don't think so luv."

          "Well then who?" Dinah asked.  She didn't want her husband to leave her and Will had his shop to tend to. 

          Ana snapped her fingers and her eyes seemed to come alive by the single thought she had in her head, "I got it."

          "Who?" Jack asked, wondering if she was going to try to argue her way out of this.

          "Evan.  You break him and his crew out of jail and then I can have him and his ship with me."

          Jack smiled, "Yer funny you know that?  It seems like an awful lot of trouble just to get some piglets to Barbados."

          "What other choice do we have?  You don't want to leave your wife, Elizabeth isn't fit to be on a ship and Will has his shop.  Evan's the only person left."

          "And it gives me a reason to break him out, correct?" He asked.

          She smiled, "Exactly."

          "This is insane and practically suicide for me, you know that right?"

          "Yes, but you've been up against worst odds," she said smiling.  He rolled his eyes and accepted the challenge.  Now all he had to do was think of a plan.

          "Will, exactly why did you name the pup Maria?" Ana asked early the next morning.  The house was full of jitters from the adults waiting to open their Christmas presents.  There were sixteen presents under the tree all waiting to be opened by their proper owner.

          Will shrugged, "It seemed appropriate."

          "Yer a funny one Will Turner, and yer lucky I'm not gunna throw this syrup covered pastry at yer face."

          Jack had confessed last night to Dinah that he had never really had Christmas at his house and this whole party-present thing was so new to him.  She laughed and asked him if he had gotten presents for any of them.  She slyly smiled and shrugged.  Dinah could only hope that it meant a yes.

          After breakfast the five sat around the floor, all in their pajamas and robes, and started passing out presents.  There was three for each of them and one for Jackson.

          Jack opened his first.  He had a long box from Will, a small square box from Dinah and a big bow from Ana and Elizabeth.  He opened Will's to reveal a new sword, he smiled, "You should've."

          "Why not?"

          "Because you already have…" 

          Will laughed.  The sword was perfectly balanced as always, and had gold encrusted handle with the letters JS at the top of the handle in gold.  He thanked him and went to the next gift.  He opened the box from Dinah to reveal a black, velvet box.  He eyed her and opened it.  She held her breath as Jack took out the gold ring and looked it all over.  It had a single sparrow outlined on top and nothing else.  He smiled and slipped it on, the sparrow facing the inside of his hand.  He leaned over and kissed his wife and looked at his hand seeing what a difference the gold made against the other little rings he had on his fingers.

          The next gift brought laughter for the whole group.  Elizabeth and Ana had bought him new sea boots which he badly needed, a new coat that look exactly like his old one except newer, and a bottle of rum.

          "Ahh, Lizzy!  I knew you'd break sooner or later!"

          "Jack Sparrow, What makes you think I bought that rum?"

          "Because yer smilin' lass."

          Ana got a sword from Will and Elizabeth which was both unique and beautiful, a brush from Jack as a joke and a telescope from Dinah.  Dinah got a new shiny dagger from Will to encourage her to practice her throwing as Jack has been insisting. 

          The rest of the morning went fairly well, everyone spent time with each of their new 'toys'.  When they all got tired Dinah and Jack went for a walk while leaving the rest of the household quiet.  He 

          "So?" 

          "So what?"

          "How was your first Christmas celebrated with friends and family?" Dinah asked all smiles.

          He smiled back and said, "It was a'right. Will made me a beautiful sword…He needs to stop doing that."

          "Yea…It's real nice…nice and heavy…"

          Jack stopped walking and pulled Dinah around to face him, "Heavy?"

          "Yea…like heavy enough to stand on…"

          Jack narrowed his eyes, "Who've you been talkin' to?"

          She shrugged and Jack focused his glare on his not-so-innocent wife.  She sighed, "Well Elizabeth told me about the time when Will saved you at the gallows…I was just thinking…"

          "I could do the same for Evan?" He finished. 

          She nodded.

          He sighed, "I don't think it'll be that easy."

          "Why not?"

          "Because the Commodore will be watchin'," Jack said with a sneer.

          "Well you promised Ana…"

          "No I didn't luv…" He said breaking eye contact with Dinah and looking down at the sand on his bare feet.

          "Jack-"

          "No," He said cutting her off with sternness that Dinah had only seen a couple of times, "Ana wants me to do this for her, but like I said it's suicide and with a child on the way I'm not sure you'll be wantin' me gone."

          Dinah sighed, not sure that Jack was trying his best at thinking of ways to get Evan out.

          "But-" she tried again.

          "No!  And it's even a bigger risk since there's his whole blasted crew!  If it was only him I would consider it but not with his whole crew in that jail.  And what happens after we break him and his crew out?  Bring them here?  There's not even close to enough space to hide them here!  And the Commodore would come straight here.  Trust me."

          "Will you let me get my two senses in please?" She yelled, stomping her foot.  He was a bit taken aback but quieted down for his wife.  "You may have not promised Ana that you would do it, but in a way you _told her you were going to.  And you're Jack Sparrow!  You can figure out a way to do this if you just _tried._ But you're not trying because you don't like Evan and the fact that he's got something that you don't."_

          "And what would that be?"

          "Ana Maria, who is one of your best friends."

          _I got Ana pregnant._  Those words had been going through Evan's mind for the past twenty four hours.  When Ana left the jail, Evan was in complete shock that he had done something so stupid.  Sure, she wanted a kid, but not now.  She wanted a husband first.  _Does this mean I'm supposed to marry her now? He thought to himself.  __No, I'm being selfish… _I love her and I won't marry her?  Yea, that's selfish.  _But knowing it was selfish of him wasn't necessarily going to make him stop being selfish._

          _ I wonder if it's a character flaw._  He sighed, not knowing why he was thinking about himself when Ana was the one with the baby.  _A baby whose father is going to be hung next week._ That disappointed him.  Sure, he liked kids.  They were cute.  Except when they screamed, cried, yelled or pooped.  He would've looked forward to being a father.  _Then what's stopping me?  Oh yea, my job.  __Well couldn't I take off a few years?  Wait!  I'm no landlubber!  My home is the sea.  Then couldn't we bring the babe along?_

_          A baby at sea?  I'm not sure that's the best idea. _He argued with himself._ Ana I can't leave Ana home with the kid while I leave.  If I commit to anything here, either me or Ana will have to give up something.  I will have to give up my ship for a few years to stay with her…or she'll have to give up the baby (to a nanny) and come with me…_

Evan sighed, and rubbed his forehead.  _I have a feeling she won't give up the baby._

----------------------------

**Author Thanks:**

**Oktaria****: YAY! You're back home and reading my stories!  I missed you reviews and I know you won't read this chapter for quite some time but thanks for sticking to my story!**

**PED-sarah:** Thanks so much for your reviews and suggestions.  I appreciate them all.


	19. Escape Plan

          Jack came into the house and slammed the door behind him, almost whacking in the face.  She growled and opened the front door herself.  "I know you did not just do that Jack!" she yelled after him.  He gritted his teeth and turned around.

          "I'm pretty sure you know I just did that luv!" He yelled back, "Don't get cute with me Dinah!  I'm mad and when I'm mad I'm going to be vulgar and rude!  I'm not gunna go around openin' doors for you if you make me mad!"

          Dinah's mad exterior went away and she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him as if daring him to do what he was saying he would.  He breathed hard for a few minutes and then said, "AH!  You women are bloody impossible!  I don't know why I even agreed to-"

          "Don't even think about, buddy." Dinah said pointing a finger at him, "There are other people around you know."  She said referring to Ana, Will, Elizabeth and the baby who were all in the kitchen eating.

          "I don't bloody care!"

          "Then what?  You don't know why you agreed to what?"

          Jack forced him mouth shut for a few seconds and then seemed to explode, "I don't know why I agreed to break Evan out of jail, but I'll be tellin' you one thing, I'M NOT GUNNA!"

          Ana grunted and Dinah narrowed her eyes, "Well if you're not, then I will!"

          "You and what navy?" Jack argued.

          "Don't argue with me!  You're not going to do it so I am, savvy?"

          Jack paused at the use of his word coming out of his wife's mouth.  _My wife, He thought, trying to remember what got him so mad in the first place.  "Yer not goin' out there." He said calmly yet sternly. _

          "Why not?"

          "'Cause if Norrington catches you, you'll be hung.  And I can almost guarantee that you'll be caught."

          "What makes you so sure?"

          "Because you won't know what you're doing.  And I can't risk my wife and my child.  No.  You're not going."

          "Well someone has to!  And if you're not, then I will."

          "Nobody has to luv, it's not like we've told Evan…"

          "Uh…" Ana started.  Jack slowly turned toward his friend, anger already in his eyes. "I wouldn't be so sure of that Jack…"

          "And why not?"

          "Because Will and I have already gone down there to tell him about it."

          "What?  How?  There are guards at every cell!"

          Will smiled meekly, "I kinda created a distraction…"

          Jack sighed, looking at Elizabeth.  She shrugged, "I couldn't stop them Jack…I'm just an innocent bystander."

          "Well fine then.  What did you tell the fool?"

          Ana sighed, "That the night before the hanging we'd break his crew out of jail and then they'd go to their ship.  Then that morning we'd somehow get Evan out and then he'd come with me-"

          "To deliver a batch of piglets to my mothers…" He said rubbing his forehead.  "How did you expect we'd get them to their ship?  There's going to be men everywhere!"

          "Not if my son is missing…" Elizabeth said smiling.

          Jack glared at her and then looked at all of them, "This seems like a lot of trouble just to get some pigs to Barbados!"

          Dinah rolled her eyes, "This isn't all for the piglets Jack…it's for Ana."  Jack looked at his friend; she had one hand on the table and the other on her stomach.  _Her stomach,_ Jack thought, t_he baby._  "The baby needs a father Jack…"

          "No offense, but Ana, you don't even know if he'll wed you."

          Ana stopped.  The thought never seemed to cross her mind.  _He's right, I don't know… "But Jack, I need to do this…"_

          He sighed, not sure why she needed to if there was a huge chance that she'd get hurt again.  But she was in love, he guessed and that was enough reason for her.  _She wouldn't go on such ridiculous reasons if she didn't have the babe.  The thing is makin' her hormones all out of order…The Ana Maria I know is the one who's level-headed and calm.  Who doesn't base decisions on blasted emotions.  _He sighed again, knowing he must've acted this way with Dinah.  

          "Fine!  I'll do it."

          The day of Evan's hanging he was the only one in the jail.  The night before Jack and Ana had gone to the jail to break out the crew.   Will had somehow gotten the keys off Norrington without him knowing. Dinah and Elizabeth had gone to Will and the Commodore next telling them the baby had been kidnapped.  In turn, Norrington sent out most of his men to look for the baby.  

          Jack and Ana and Evan's crew walked carefully to the harbor, where _The Challenger _waited.  Finally the crew was gone and too far away when the Commodore finally noticed.  Right after his men found the baby he went to check the cell.  The bolts were broken on both of the cell doors.  

          The five returned to the house, happy with their success but Norrington wasn't far behind them.  He knocked on the door with two of his men with him.  Will opened the door only a crack while Jack and Ana ran to get to their rooms.  "Yes Commodore?"

          "May I come in?"

          Will opened the door wider and let the three men come in.  They stepped in to see Elizabeth rocking her baby, Dinah trying to sew, sitting on the couch.  Jack or Ana no where in sight.

          "Where are the pirates?"

          "In bed, why ask, Commodore?" Dinah asked, getting up.

          "Evan's crew was broken out of jail.  The exact way Will broke out Jack."

          Will swallowed.  "They've been here all night, Commodore, ask the servants."

          He eyed all three of them, trying to decide if they were telling the truth.  "May I go take a look?"

          Dinah panicked, not sure if they would be ready, "You don't believe Will?"

          He looked at Dinah and then at Will.  He directed his comment at Dinah while he walked through the house, "Will Turner has been known to stretch the truth at the most…opportune moments- as Jack would say."  He and his men walked up the stairs, with Will and Dinah close behind.  He quietly opened Ana's room, which was dark with her window open.  She lay there; eyes closed facing the doors in a night shirt.  Dinah breathed a sigh of relief.  The Commodore seemed satisfied and moved to Jack's door.  He opened it to see pretty much the same thing.  They walked down stairs to the living room until the Commodore finally said something.

          "Don't think my men and I won't be looking for Jack and Ana Maria.  And anyone else who might mess this up."

          "But what if Evan didn't do it?" Elizabeth said suddenly before he left.

          "What?"

          "What if Evan didn't do it?"

          "Well then, circumstances might change, but otherwise.  He has a date with the gallows at noon tomorrow."

          When the Commodore left Will asked what was up with the question.  "Francois gave me this when I came in.  He said that it was slipped under the door when we were all gone."  She held up a small envelope.  

          "Well what does it say?"

          "Shouldn't we get Ana and Jack?" She answered.  Will and Dinah agreed and Elizabeth and Will went to Ana's room while Dinah got her husband.  Once they were gathered in Ana's room, Elizabeth opened it and took two pieces of paper out of the envelope.  She stared at it and then said, "It's addressed to Ana…"

          "Well read it mate.  I haven't read in quite some time, so do me a favor."

          Elizabeth obeyed.  The letter read:

                   **Ana Maria-**

**                             Didn't expect for this to happen, did you mate?  I'm hoping you'll get this the day before **

**Your lover's hanging.  But if it doesn't, then I'm sure this letter will make you more…surprised. **

** When you, Captain Jack Sparrow and his wife left my house with me tied up, thanks to you, I was**

**a little more than irate.  How dare you interfere with my business you wench!  I could've had Jack**

**in my control if it wasn't for you.  So now, I'm making you pay.  I first was going to go after you**

**but Captain Miller seems evermore appropriate, don't you think?   So I basically framed him. **

**Good luck luv, finding a new lover is so hard these days, don't you think?**

**                                                                                                Sincerely, **

**                                                                                                          Scarlet Fredrick**

          "No way…" Ana said. 

          "So Evan was tellin' the truth…" Jack said, not sure what else to say.

          "Do you think she'll be there tomorrow?" Dinah asked.

          Ana looked at her, the thought never crossing her mind.  "She will be.  She wants to see me suffer; she'll know I'll be there so she will too."

          "Well then we need to find her before Evan takes a quick drop." Will assumed.

          "Then what?  We turn her into Norrington?  We have no proof." Elizabeth said.  Ana rolled her eyes and pointed to the letter.  "Oh yeah…"

          The next morning brought Dinah wearing one of her elegant dresses, Ana wearing on of Elizabeth's and Elizabeth wearing on of her own, with little Jackson dressed up.  Along with the three women came Will, hidden underneath Jack's hat and new old coat, with a sword strapped to his said.  Then Jack, with his mustache curled up, his two braids undone and curled into one big curl, his new coat and Will's huge feather hat.  The two were barely recognizable under their hats.  Will stayed back, leaning against a wall; Jack was lost in the crowd and the three women were up on a ledge with the Commodore and Elizabeth's father.

          Evan was brought out and almost immediately his eyes locked on to Ana's.  She ripped her face away from him and scanned the crowd for Scarlet.  Dinah found her.  She had a large hat on, but Dinah could clearly see her face.  She nudged both the women and nodded toward her.  Elizabeth nodded and wavered.  She suddenly fell, Dinah barely catching the baby.  Jackson started crying and Will and Jack both looked to Dinah as the Commodore and the Governor started fanning the 'fainted' Elizabeth.  

          Dinah nodded her head toward Scarlet and Will moved toward her.  Jack back up behind the crowd and reached for his gun.  Evan was roped and someone began reading the charges against him.  Ana watched carefully as Will drew out his sword, and pointed towards Scarlet's neck.  The people around them gasped and back away.  Scarlet quickly reached for her gun but Will was quickly.  He knocked it out of her hand with a flick of his sword and cut her hand.  The man tightened Evan's rope and walked to the lever to pull it and Ana suddenly shouted, "WAIT!"

          The man was so taken aback by her comment he pulled the lever.  Ana screamed.  Norrington shot up and looked around.  Jack shot at Evan's rope and hit it, causing Evan to tumble to the ground.  Scarlet ran, Will, not sure what to do, dropped his sword and ran after her, finding that dodging people was easier for her than it was for him.  He finally caught up with her and jumped and tackled her by her legs. 

          Norrington shot blanks up in the air to get the peoples attention.  Everyone stopped except for Ana, who ran to Evan.  She loosed the noose and took it off his head.  She helped him sit up.  He leaned against her, almost making her fall over from his weight.  He had been rescued, thanks to the woman he rejected.  As he tried to breathe he faintly heard Norrington walk down the steps and come near them, saying, "Has the whole Port gone mad?"


	20. My Achy Breaky Heart

          "I didn't think this would be such a big deal!  It's just a lowly pirate!  But I obviously was in the wrong when I told all of you when I was hanging him."  Norrington said.  Will, Elizabeth, Ana, Evan, Dinah, Jack and Scarlet all sat in Norrington's office later that morning.  They had Scarlet and Evan in ties.  

          "I saw the problem with Jack.  Will was close to him…after all Jack did save his life, but now?  I really wasn't expecting this much of an elaborate plan.  I mean the disguises, the fainting, and _the _baby_."_

          The five looked around the room and looked at how everyone looked a little strange except for Elizabeth.  "And you!" Norrington pointed at Jack and Ana, "You're lucky I'm not having you hung with your friend!"

          They stayed silent as Norrington was somewhat satisfied with his 'discipline speech' and sat down.  "Now what is it with this Fredrick woman?"

          They all started talking at once, telling Norrington what had happened, like little kids who were telling their parents the _real story of the broken window. _

          "STOP!" Norrington yelled. They obeyed and then he said, "Captain- what's the story?"

          Jack was somewhat flattered that the Commodore chose him.  He cleared his throat and said, "Commodore, this woman had my kidnapped some five months ago.  I naturally followed the men who kidnapped m'dear Dinah and found her.  Ana kinda beat her up…we left.  Scarlet's mad.  She wants revenge so she went after Evan who is Ana's lover, and we have the proof."

          "How so?"

          Jack held up the letter that Scarlet had written, "She slipped this under the door the day Evan's crew broke out."

          Norrington grunted and took the letter from Jack's hand.  He read it over and looked up, his eyes on Evan, and for what seemed like forever passed until he finally said, "It looks as though you're not guilty, Captain Miller.  You are free to go."

          _Free?_ Evan thought, _Tell that to the brand on my wrist. _He nodded and got up, Ana quickly leaving with him.  With the whole thing resolved, they all left and went to the harbor to see the two off.

          "Take care of them and make sure you feed them everyday!" Dinah said as Evan and Ana (back in her clothes) carried away eight piglets, while Dinah had one in her arms.

          "Feed them?  How are we supposed to do that?" Evan asked, trying to keep them all in his arms.

          "With the milk that I packed!"

          The two sighed and looked at each other, Ana nodded.  "Okay Dinah, we'll see you in a few months!"  They hugged, then left quickly.  While going back to the house Jack asked, "You milked that pig to have enough milk for two months?"

          "I'm not sure, but it's not my problem…it'll be a growing experience for them…savvy?"

          Jack smiled and wrapped an arm around his wife as they walked behind Will and Elizabeth, going back to the house.

          Two weeks past without Ana saying a word to Evan.  She had gotten a little bigger and was now glad that she had clothes to fit her changing form.  The days had been somewhat lonely, not talking to anyone but the pigs.  Ana survived somehow, but Evan didn't.  One day he finally sad something while they were feeding some of the pigs, who they had each gotten somewhat attached to.

          "How's the baby?"

          "I'm not sure…Elizabeth's midwife checked me out.  I'm still scheduled for late May.  Why?" She said, glancing a sideways look at him.

          He shrugged, "I'm just concerned about our baby."

          "Our baby?  When did it become _our baby?"_

          "Uh…about four months ago…"

          "You don't want a family.  You don't want anything but your blasted ship.  Tell me again how this became our baby?"

          "Ana, I've been meaning to talk to you about that…" He started off.

          "Oh!  Now you want to talk about…whatever."

          "Ana- I was wrong!"

          That turned her head, "Wrong about what?"

          "Ana I…" She kept listening as she put down a pig that she had finished with and Evan finished up with his.  He put it down and looked at her, "I want you to be with me at whatever-"

          "No." She said, getting up and leaving.  Startled, he followed her, being careful to keep the piglets in the room.

          "No what?"

          "I don't want to hear anymore of your non committal answers!  And as hard as it is for me to say this- I love you Evan.  I have given my heart to you and you haven't been treating me exactly the way I thought you would.  So maybe I was just a stepping stone for you to get to that point in your life where you'd figure out what you wanted or didn't want- But whatever it is and where ever you are, I want you to be happy.  I don't want to force you to get married to be just because we have a child.  I mean, c'mon! It was BOUND to happen sooner or later…but I just thought that when it did happen, you were going to be ready and we were going to be married and ready for a child.  But I guess you can't plan these things, eh?"

          Ana sighed, not getting a response from Evan and turned to go to her cabin.  But before she was out of sight, Evan said, "Ana, you didn't let me finish.  I said that I wanted you with me…at whatever costs.  And if being with you means marrying you and raisin' that babe with you…then I'll do it."

          Ana turned, tears in her eyes, rubbing her stomach, "I don't want you to do that though!  I don't want to be the reason that you give up what you love!"

          The rain started to lightly pour and Ana walked to the helm.  Evan followed her, not sure if he was really going to say this, "Ana, you don't understand though!  If I was giving up what I loved, then I would be giving up you."

          Ana paused, and then ripped her eyes away from Evan.  She steered the boat back on course as the wind stayed the same yet the rain was coming down.  "Help me with the sails," She said loudly.  He followed her and helped to tie them half way up.  It was getting on night time; soon they were going to have to put the anchor down.

          Ana next went to the cabin with the piglets and picked up four.  Evan did the same and carried them to Ana's cabin.  Hers was the largest and the roomiest.  She put a towel where the crack from the door was and left it there so the water wouldn't come in, if it was even going to rain that long.

          When on her bed, she said, "Evan, I don't want you to be giving me empty commitments here.  What you say I'm going to interpret the way I think you meant it…so cut it to me straight.  True feelings…"

          Evan paused, hearing the light touches the rain was making with the deck.  Then watching the pigs curl up with Ana and with each other.  He pictured a child curling up next to Ana.  He wanted to see that so badly.

          "I love you Ana, I have for a while.  But I didn't tell you because…I'm not really sure why- but I didn't want to confine myself to the land.  I love the sea but I love you more."

          Ana stood up and walked to Evan and wrapped her arms around his neck.  This was the first time she could remember that she was ever emotional.  "I want my child to have the father she deservers…" She said.

          Evan pulled away and looked at her, eyebrows raised he wondered if she was implying what he thought she was.  This was the moment of truth.  He told her he loved her, so now was he going to ask her to marry him or try to weasel his way out of it?

_____________________________________

Sorry it was so short!  But I needed to end here…The story is almost done and I have another one I'm already working on!  YAY!


	21. Doubting and Trusting

          "Jack, what are we going to name the baby?" Dinah asked.  It was early April and the baby was due anytime now.  Dinah had been waddling around the house, huge as ever.  Jack had gotten back that week and Dinah was glad to have him back.  It felt weird not having her husband around to comfort her or to talk about the baby.  But since Jack had been there, he had been following her around to make sure she didn't pick up anything she couldn't.  She had gotten pretty irritated lately with having him for a shadow, but she knew that he was only looking out of him.

          They were in their bedroom which they had grown quite attached to in the last couple months.  Norrington had stopped by often to see how Dinah was doing and to see if Jack was still there and staying out of trouble.  Dinah had grown to respect the Commodore and have a small type of friendship with him.

          They sat against the head board on their bed and Dinah rubbed her stomach as she laid her head on Jack's shoulder.  They had never really talked about the baby and what its name was going to be, and for Dinah this seemed like the best time. 

          "How 'bout Jack?" He offered.

          Dinah smirked, "Actually I was thinking more of Milton."

          "We're not naming my son after your pig who is practically a cross dresser!"

          "It was a simple mistake anyone could make."

          "My son is not goin' to be named Milton."

          "Hey!  That's also my maiden name!"

          Jack swallowed, "What if it's a girl, luv?"

          "I was thinking of Hannah?"

          "Jack shrugged, "Sounds good."

          "Back to the boy's name, Jack.  We're not naming our baby after you."

          "Why not?" 

          "Jack jr.?  I'm not…"

          "Okay…but can my son not have the first name of Milton?  How 'bout his middle name?"

          "What is it with _your _son?  'can _my son…' '__My son isn't going to…'  It's not yours! It's ours."_

          "Sorry love," They both paused, thinking of names.  A light went on in Jack's head, "Jacob."

          "Huh?"

          "Jacob Milton Sparrow.  There.  We compromised."

          Dinah smiled.  "Thanks darlin'… Oh!  I almost forgot…Jack- do you expect our baby to be a pirate?"

          Jack paused, "You don't?"

          "No!  I mean you can teach him how to sword fight and defend himself, but being a pirate?  Your own son or daughter?"

          "Hmm…let's talk about this when the babe is actually born and a little older."  Dinah seemed satisfied with that answer. 

          Will and Elizabeth awoke the next morning to something sweet smelling.  The aroma seemed to carry them out of bed and drug them downstairs.  But instead of their cook they saw Dinah, cooking and Jack sitting at the table.

          "Jack!  What are you thinking?  Having her around a hot stove!" Elizabeth said rushing to Dinah and forcing her away.  Elizabeth and Will looked at Jack and he was bound to the chair.  Will smirked and tried to hold in the laughter.  Jack rolled his eyes, he had given up yelling at Dinah for quite sometime.  But now that Will had seen him, Captain Jack Sparrow tied to a chair by his pregnant wife, it was too much to take.

          "Will, let me ask you this, Lizzy's pregnant, has a pot in her hand, and wants you to stop forcing her away from the fire, what would you do?"

          "But you're tied up!"

          "She attacked me." He said shrugging.

          Will shook his head and sat next to him.  Elizabeth sat Dinah down and told her, "Now you stay here or I'm going to tie you up!" And then left to go find the cook.

          "She's right, you shouldn't be cooking when you're so big."

          Dinah eyed Will, "I dunno…I just needed to cook.  I needed to do _something!"  She paused, "I miss Ana Maria.  Why has she been gone so long?  It's been almost five months!  She needs to come home."_

          "Luv, Port Royal is anything but her home." Jack told his wife.

          "I guess…but it doesn't take this long to go from here to Barbados and back!"

          "Luv, her ship isn't as fast as the _Pearl!  She's fine.  Don't worry about it."_

          "I wonder if she's killed Evan yet…" Will said, leaning back, thinking out loud.

          Jack chuckled, "I hope not.  I would love to see it."

          "Big surprise.  You've never liked him.  I'm surprised you agreed to our plan.  I thought if that opportunity came up, you wouldn't shoot him down."

          "I'm not that mean."

          Dinah rolled her eyes.

          All that afternoon Jack was following around Dinah making sure she didn't do so much strenuous work.  He failed sadly.  He ended up watching her plant flowers and do yard work.  He moaned and complained that it probably wasn't the best thing for the baby and he wasn't sure if it was the best thing for her, but she ignored him.

          "Luv, how do you expect to give birth if you're tired out from doing work?  And I'm tellin' you that yer back cramps are gunna be even worse tomorrow."

          "Jack!  Stop acting like a mom!  You're my husband!  Start acting like it!"

          "I am!  I'm supposed to be takin' care of you but then you point that shovel at me and get that evil look in yer eye…Barbossa wouldn't even touch you."

          Dinah turned and smiled.  She was about to say something smart to her husband but then she stopped and the smile went off her face. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing something was.

          "Jack, please get the midwife…please."  She said as she held her stomach.

          He stood and yelled for Elizabeth and joined Dinah on the ground, "Why what's wrong?"

          "I think my water just broke."

          Will ended up waiting with Jack out in the living room.  Jack was pacing and Will sat, watching him.  Jack had insisted that he needed some rum but Elizabeth warned him if he left the house, got some rum and got drunk then she wouldn't let him see the child until the next day.  Yes, Jack wanted rum, but he also wanted to see the baby.

          "Don't worry about it, Dinah's healthy, the baby will be fine and so will she."

          "Did you panic this much when Elizabeth was in labor, lad?"

          Will nodded.

          "Exactly, so don't take this moment away from me."

          Will smiled, "You're that worried?"

          Jack stopped and looked at his friend, "I know that Dinah's going to get through this okay, and I know the baby will be fine too, but I dunno if I will be."

          "What?"

          "Will, when you and Liz were married, you _knew that you wanted to have a child.  Now that child is safely in his bed, sleeping the day away.  But when Dinah and I got hitched, I wasn't __plannin_'_ on havin' any type of child on me ship!"_

          "Wait- so you don't want to have the child?  Didn't you tell Dinah you did?"

          "Well technically I did tell her that…but it was just to calm her down.  I had asked her a ridiculous question which made her mad and then she said she wasn't sure if I even wanted a kid…"

          "So you 'technically' lied?"  Will said putting quotes around the word 'technically'.

          "I guess you could call it that…"

          Will just looked at Jack.

          "Before Dinah, when was the last time you saw me in such turmoil over a woman?"

          "Never."

          "Exactly, but then Dinah comes along…again and I end up marrying her like I should've years ago…but never did I think of having a child with her…well maybe once or twice.  But do I look like the settling down type?"

          "But you don't have to…bring them along!"

          "Beatrice would have my head, Will," He said, starting to pace again, "I don't want to endanger either of them so I want to leave them with my mother or her mother.  But Dinah won't have it.  And I don't necessarily want to leave Dinah."

          "Jack, you make it sound as if you think having a baby was going to be easy.  Or living with Dinah was going to be easy…"

          Jack stopped and sat down.  He didn't say a word, but just sat there, staring at the carpet.

          "Will, you aren't thinking of leaving her…are you?"

          Jack's eyes made contact as Will asked the question that had never once entered Jack's head in all the time he had been married to Dinah.  He shook his head, "No.  Of course not.  I'm just not ready to be responsible for a person whose whole life is going to be based on what I tell it or train it or do with it…I'm just not ready…"

          Will was about to encourage him but the sound of a baby crying stopped him.  They paused and looked at each other, acting as if that was going to help the fear that Jack was feeling.  Ten minutes past with no word from any of the three women in the room.  Jack started to worry about Dinah.  _God please let her be okay._ He silently prayed.

          A door opened and Elizabeth came down the stairs with a solemn look on her face.  The two men stood up and she made eye contact with Jack.  Her lips never went up or down, just stayed in a straight line on her face.  She reached Jack and said, starting to smile, "Congratulations Jack, You have a little boy."

          Will laughed and thrust his arms around Jack.  He numbly hugged Will back and then Elizabeth kissed him on the cheek.  They both led him up the stairs as he numbly took them one by one.  The only things going through his brain were the words Elizabeth said to him, echoing.  

          He reached Dinah's door and opened it a little hesitantly.  He walked in and his gaze fell upon Dinah, sweaty and red in the face and then a little, live, person in her arms.  The baby was stained slightly red, was wrinkly and had a blanket wrapped around him.  A smile grew on his face as he looked at the two things that were most important to him.  Despite his doubts about having a child and being able to care for it, he was already in love with him.  Just the fact that he and his wife had made him and his wife had worked to keep him alive, was enough to love such a thing.  

          Dinah ripped her gaze away from her son and looked at her husband.  She smiled when she saw his face.  "C'mere and meet your son."

          "I already have," he said walking over to Dinah and sitting next to her on the bed.  She gently handed the baby over to the hesitant Jack.  "Support his head…" She said.  He obeyed and in a moment the baby was in his arms.  His little nose, thin dark hair and blue-green eyes were the features that amazed Jack.  That and the little hand and the little fingers he had.  He cooed quietly.  He looked at Dinah, "He has yer eyes."

          She smiled, "And you're hair."

          He leaned over and kissed his wife as a thank you and yay-for-us.  He pulled away and looked at his son once more.  He whispered his name to the child, "Jacob Milton Sparrow..."  

          Dinah grew serious and leaned her head on her husbands shoulder, more than exhausted from the pushing.  "Jack, are you nervous?"

          Jack looked at his wife and nodded.  She halfway smiled, thinking it was nice to know she wasn't the only one.  "Well I just wanted you to know that I trust you."

          Will and Elizabeth looked at each other when Dinah said that and quickly excused themselves from the room.  "Trust me with what, luv?"

          "With Jacob…with me…"

          Jack eyed his wife, as if asking if this was the first time she had trusted him.  "Jack, I've always trusted you, but now I trust you with a lot more than my feelings and my heart.  I trust you with our son."

          A certain sense of renewed responsibility came over him.  Ironically enough, the doubts he was having right before the baby was born, Dinah filled with trust right after the baby was born.  It felt good to be trust worthy.  It felt good to be leaned on yet supported.  It felt good to have a wife like Dinah and now a son.  

          "Thanks Dinah, and with that I should tell you that I would love to have you and Jacob on board the _Pearl__.  But only every other month.  And every other month of every other month, you'll be alternating between my mother's and your mother's…sound reasonable to you?"_

          Dinah nodded, "And of course I'll stay in our cabin while you raid and plunder.  Don't worry.  I expected that."

          Jack smiled.  "Good, then everything is fine."

___________________________

          **Sorry this chapter took so long but I'm also working on my new story!  It excites me!  So this is prolly the second to last chapter in this story…tear.  But I didn't think it was as good as my first one.  Oh well, that's usually true of sequels.  Hopefully that won't be true of the sequel of POTC.  **

**          And if Jack seemed somewhat OOC…I'm sorry?  Lol.  I needed to write this chapter to tie up some loose ends and Jack acting how he did seemed right. Tell me what you think!  Review!**


	22. Epilogue

          Around three weeks after Jacob was born there was a knock on the Turner's door.  Ana Maria and Evan strode in, hand-in-hand.  Jack stood up and greeted both of them, "We were starting to wonder if you drowned."

          Ana laughed, "Yea, well we were starting to wonder if you were still alive,"

          Jack gave her a questioning look.

          "You've been in Port Royal longer than you've stayed anywhere.  And Port Royal of all places!  Where a man who wants to see you hung lives and works."

          "What'd you expect?  I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

          Ana smiled, "I suppose you are."

          Suddenly it occurred to Jack, Will and Elizabeth that Ana was not a pudgy little woman anymore.  Her perfectly round stomach was gone.  "Ana!" Elizabeth said, "They baby!  You've had it!"

          Evan smiled, "That she did, and the boat ride home was a lot easier."

          "Wait, I'm confused, where's the baby?" Will asked, seeing no baby in either of their arms.

          "Well you can't take a two week old baby on to the seas now can you?" Ana replied.

          "Would you just bloody tell us?!" Jack asked, fed up with Ana beating around the bush.

          "I had the baby about two weeks ago…Her name is Rosa Marie Miller."

          "Miller?" Elizabeth asked looking from Ana to Evan.

          Ana smiled, "That's right, Evan and I got hitched finally.  We're the proud parents of a baby girl."

          "So where is she?" Will asked.

          "Puerto Rico, with my uncle.  I would've stayed there, but I had to come see Dinah…how is she?" Ana asked looking straight at Jack.

          "I say we break open a bottle of Rum!  You're married!"

          "We've already done that, where's you're wife?"

          Jack sighed, but with a slight smirk on his face, "She's upstairs putting a baby boy to bed."  

          Ana immediately broke away from Evan and gave Jack a hug.  Then she raced up to the room when Dinah would be.  She silently opened the door and watched as Dinah stood and rocked a baby to sleep, singing quietly.  She waited until she thought the baby was well asleep and said, "Hey stranger…"

          Dinah turned slowly and her eyes lit up when she saw who it was.  She smiled and walked over to her, "Jacob Milton Sparrow." She whispered, Ana nodded and looked at the sleeping babe.  Already it had a thick mat of black hair, taking after Jack, of course. Dinah went to put the baby in the crib that they had bought earlier and then followed Ana out the door.

          She and Ana hugged each other and cried in each other's arms.  Ana told Dinah that she was married and showed her a necklace with a single diamond on it that Evan gave to her instead of a ring.  

          She told her about how the baby was in Puerto Rico and Evan and she would be living there.  Evan helping her uncle in the ship business, he repaired ships for a living, but only certain ones.  Dinah told her that her and Jack would be leaving in the next week, taking the baby with them, quickly visiting Bermuda and then Barbados and then there were going to leave.

          "A month old baby on a ship?  Are you going to tell your mother?"

          "No…But if she asks I'll tell her…otherwise why get her upset for no reason?"

          "She'll ask,"

          "I know."

          The two went down stairs and joined everyone else.  Dinah gave Evan a hug, glad that he finally got his act together.  For a while Dinah didn't think Evan was good enough for Ana.  And in a way she supposed he wasn't, but Ana wasn't exactly the perfect person either.  

          "We need to get going though.  I just wanted to make sure that you were okay." Ana explained.  Dinah understood, she had a new baby and she wanted to be with it badly, it showed.  Jack and Dinah walked Ana and Evan to the dock while Will and Elizabeth stayed home with the two kids.  They said there goodbyes, Will telling Evan that he and Ana were welcome anytime.  

          As Jack and Dinah watched Ana's little ship slowly sail off, Dinah couldn't help think about everything that had happened in the past year.  In the past couple years.  She was grateful that she had met Jack, that they had married and finally depended on each other and truly loved each other.  Now they had a child to love.  But Ana and Evan had to learn to really love each other while learning to raise a child.  

          _I hope you have a good life Ana.  I hope that you're happy and I hope that you never forget about me and you always visit me.  I hope that Evan treats you well and I hope…Hope…I hope that you will always love him.  I hope that you're never selfish in your relationship and that you learn to lean and depend on each other…_

"Ready to go back?" Jack asked, squeezing Dinah's side.  

          She looked up, "Yea…I'm ready to go back…"


	23. The End?

            The end? People have been asking me this.  Saying that the story ending too soon and that it's sudden…well it is.  I got kinda sick of the story…I dunno if that has happened to anyone but it happened to me!  So this is an incredibly short chapter…because it's not even a chapter!  But I just wanted to explain that there's going to be another story coming out…I've planned it and got everything worked out…yay for me.  SO WATCH FOR IT! Love you all-

Rebel Lady


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